Hydrogel encapsulated cells and anti-inflammatory drugs

ABSTRACT

A composition containing biocompatible hydrogel encapsulating mammalian cells and anti-inflammatory drugs is disclosed. The encapsulated cells have reduced fibrotic overgrowth after implantation in a subject. The compositions contain a biocompatible hydrogel having encapsulated therein mammalian cells and anti-inflammatory drugs or polymeric particles loaded with anti-inflammatory drugs. The anti-inflammatory drugs are released from the composition after transplantation in an amount effective to inhibit fibrosis of the composition for at least ten days. Methods for identifying and selecting suitable anti-inflammatory drug-loaded particles to prevent fibrosis of encapsulated cells are also described. Methods of treating a disease in a subject are also disclosed that involve administering a therapeutically effective amount of the disclosed encapsulated cells to the subject.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/400,382, filed onFeb. 20, 2012, which claims priority to and benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/444,206, filed Feb. 18, 2011, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally related to the field of cell encapsulation.More particularly, some aspects of the invention relate to abiocompatible hydrogel encapsulating mammalian cells and polymericparticles loaded with anti-inflammatory drugs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Transplantation of human islet cells can provide good glycemic controlin diabetic recipients without exogenous insulin. However, a majorfactor limiting its application is the recipient's need to adhere tolife-long immunosuppression, which has serious side effects.Microencapsulating the human islets is a strategy that should preventrejection of the grafted tissue without the need for anti-rejectiondrugs.

However, despite promising studies in various animal models, theencapsulated human islets so far have not made an impact in the clinicalsetting. Many non-immunological and immunological factors such asbiocompatibility, reduced immunoprotection, hypoxia, pericapsularfibrotic overgrowth, effects of the encapsulation process, andpost-transplant inflammation hamper the successful application of thispromising technology (Vaithilingam V, et al. Diabet Stud, 8(1):51-67(2011)).

One major challenge to clinical application of encapsulated cells andother biomaterials and medical devices is their potential to induce anon-specific host response (Williams D F. Biomaterials 29(20):2941-53(2008); Park H, et al. Pharm Res 13(12):1770-6 (1996); Kvist P H, et al.Diabetes Technol 8(4):463-75 (2006); Wisniewski N, et al. J Anal Chem366(6):611-21 (2000); Van der Giessen W J, et al. Circulation94(7):1690-7 (1996); Granchi D, et al. J Biomed Mater Res 29(2):197-202(1995); Ward C R, et al. Obstet Gynecol 86(5):848-50 (1995); Remes A, etal. Biomaterials 13(11):731-43 (1992)). This reaction involves therecruitment of early innate immune cells such as neutrophils andmacrophages, followed by fibroblasts which deposit collagen to form afibrous capsule surrounding the implanted object (Williams D F.Biomaterials 29(20):2941-53 (2008); Remes A, et al. Biomaterials13(11):731-43 (1992); Anderson J M, et al. Semin Immunol 20(2):86-100(2008); Anderson J M, et al. Adv Drug Deliver Rev 28(1):5-24 (1997);Abbas A K, et al. Pathologic Basis of Disease. 7th ed. Philadelphia: W.BSaunders (2009)). Fibrotic cell layers can hinder electrical (SingarayarS, et al. PACE 28(4):311-5 (2005)) or chemical communications andprevent transport of analytes (Sharkawy A A, et al. J Biomed Mater Res37(3):401-12 (1997); Sharkawy A A, et al. J Biomed Mater Res40(4):598-605 (1998); Sharkawy A A, et al. J Biomed Mater Res40(4):586-97 (1998)) and nutrients, thus leading to the eventual failureof many implantable medical devices such as immunoisolated pancreaticislets (De Groot M, et al. J Surg Res 121(1):141-50 (2004); De Vos P, etal. Diabetologia 40(3):262-70 (1997); Van Schilfgaarde R, et al. J MolMed 77(1):199-205 (1999)).

The incorporation of controlled-release delivery systems ofanti-inflammatory drugs into medical devices has been proposed tomitigate host response and improve device durability (Wu P, et al.Biomaterials 27(11):2450-67 (2006); Dash A K, et al. J Pharmacol Toxicol40(1):1-12 (1998); Labhasetwar V, et al. J Appl Biomater 2(3):211-2(1991); Morais J M, et al. AAPS J 12(2):188-96 (2010); Hunt J A, et al.J Mater Sci: Mater Med 3(3):160-9 (1992)). This approach has shownpromise in a number of clinical applications. For example, controlledelution of steroids from pace-maker leads reduces fibrosis formation andenhances long-term electrical communication between the leads andsurrounding cardiac tissue (Singarayar S, et al. PACE 28(4):311-5(2005)). However, similar attempts to improve the performance of othermedical devices such as immunoisolated islets for diabetes therapy haveproven challenging (Williams D F. Biomaterials 29(20):2941-53 (2008)).

Researchers developing controlled-release drug formulations to mitigatehost response have largely focused on decreasing the number ofinflammatory cells infiltrating the host-device interface. However,various factors in the design of controlled-release formulations such asdrug selection, drug loading, particle sizes and corresponding releasekinetics can dynamically affect a range of biological activities in thehost response. The presence of anti-inflammatory drugs may alter notonly the quantity and variety of immune cells recruited but also thekinetics of cellular activities such as the secretion of inflammatoryenzymes or cell signaling pathways (Vane J R, et al. Inflamm Res47(14):78-87 (1998); Rhen T, et al. New Engl J Med 353(16):1711-23(2005)). In vivo cellular secretory products might affect thedegradation rate of the polymeric matrix (Erfle D J, et al. CardiovascPathol 6(6):333-40 (1997); Labow R S, et al. Biomaterials 16(1):51-9(1995); Labow R S, et al. Biomaterials 23(19):3969-75 (2002)) used toencapsulate drugs, and are partly responsible for the discrepancybetween in vitro and in vivo release kinetics (Zolnik B S, et al. JControl Release 127(2):137-45 (2008)).

There remains a substantial need to better understand theimmunomodulatory effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on the host-tissuebiology at the implant site (Wu P, et al. Biomaterials 27(11):2450-67(2006)). Such knowledge can lead to better design of controlled-releasedrug delivery systems to improve the biocompatibility of implantedmedical devices.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cell encapsulationsystem for transplanting cells with reduced pericapsular fibroticovergrowth.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cell encapsulationsystem for transplanting cells that inhibits a cellular immune response.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method foridentifying anti-inflammatory drugs formulations that inhibitinflammation caused by encapsulated cells.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved methods fortreating diabetes using encapsulated islet cells.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A biocompatible hydrogel encapsulating mammalian cells andanti-inflammatory drugs for transplantation with decreased cellularimmune response and/or pericapsular fibrotic overgrowth has beendeveloped. The hydrogel has encapsulated therein one or more mammaliancells and one or more anti-inflammatory drugs dispersed in, on, and/orencapsulated within a biocompatible hydrogel. The anti-inflammatory drugcan be dispersed within the hydrogel for quick release, conjugated tothe hydrogel by a biodegradable chemical linker, for delayed release, ora combination thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the one or more anti-inflammatory drugs arepresent in drug-loaded polymeric particles for controlled release. Insome embodiments, the cells and the anti-inflammatory drugs ordrug-loaded polymeric particles are encapsulated together in the samebiocompatible hydrogel. In other embodiments, the cells andanti-inflammatory drugs or drug-loaded polymeric particles arecompartmentalized within the hydrogel. Compartmentalizing the drug tothe surface of the hydrogel facilitates outward drug diffusion,maximizes drug interaction with immune cells, and minimizes interferencewith the mammalian cells inside. Therefore, in preferred embodiments, ahydrogel composition is configured with a core and envelope structure.In these embodiments, the cells are preferably encapsulated in a corehydrogel and the anti-inflammatory drugs or drug-loaded polymericparticles are encapsulated within an envelope hydrogel. In someembodiments, the core and envelope hydrogels are separated by a membraneor shell.

Transplant rejection is an adaptive immune response that occurs viacellular immunity (mediated by killer T cells) as well as humoralimmunity (mediated by activated B cells secreting antibody molecules),along with an innate immune response mediated by phagocytic cells andsoluble immune proteins. Cellular immunity protects the body byactivating antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes that are able toinduce apoptosis in body cells displaying epitopes of foreign antigen ontheir surface, activating macrophages and natural killer cells, andstimulating cells to secrete a variety of cytokines that influence thefunction of other cells involved in adaptive immune responses and innateimmune responses. In preferred embodiments, the one or moreanti-inflammatory drugs are released from the composition in an amounteffective to inhibit cellular immunity at the transplant site for atleast 2 weeks, more preferably 3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks.

In some embodiments, the one or more anti-inflammatory drugs arereleased from the composition in an amount effective to providespatially localized inhibition of inflammation in the subject for atleast 10 days, more preferably 14, 30, 60, or 90 days. In someembodiments, the spatially localized inhibition of inflammation occurswithout systemic immunosuppression. In some embodiments, spatiallylocalized inflammation is detected by measuring cathepsin activity atthe injection sites in the subject. In other embodiments, spatiallylocalized inflammation is detected by measuring reactive oxygen species(ROS) at the injection sites in the subject. In some embodiments,systemic immunosuppression is detected by measuring no cathepsinactivity or ROS at control sites in the subject, e.g., sites injectedwith drug-free polymeric particle or hydrogel.

In some cases, the one or more anti-inflammatory drugs inhibitpericapsular fibrosis of the composition after administration into thesubject by at least 50%, more preferably 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%,for at least 10 days, more preferably 14, 30, 60, or 90 days, comparedto a drug-free hydrogel. In preferred embodiments, the one or moreanti-inflammatory drugs are released from the composition in an amounteffective to prevent detectable fibrosis of the composition for at least30 days, preferably at least 60 days, more preferably at least 90 days.

The hydrogels can be fabricated into any size or shape suitable for cellencapsulation and transplantation. In preferred embodiments, thehydrogels are formed into microcapsules. Microcapsules for encapsulatingcells preferably have a mean diameter of about 150 μm to about 1000 μm,more preferably 300 μm to about 750 μm, even more preferably about 200μm to about 500 μm.

In some embodiments, the compositions are fabricated into a macrodevice.For example, in some embodiments, cells encapsulated in hydrogel arecoated onto a surface, such as a planar surface. In some embodiments,microcapsules containing cells are adhered to tissue of a subject usinga biocompatible adhesive. In other embodiments, microcapsules containingcells are coated onto a medical device suitable for implantation. Inthese embodiments, the anti-inflammatory drug or drug-loaded particlesmay be encapsulated with the cells in the hydrogel. In preferredembodiments, the anti-inflammatory drug or drug-loaded particles areincorporated into the biocompatible adhesive. FIG. 11C illustrates amacrodevice embodiment. As noted in this figure, microcapsules can bemolded into desired shapes and geometries, e.g., suitable forengineering 3D tissue constructs and macrodevices (Dang T T, et al.Biomaterials 30:6896-6902 (2009)).

The compositions may be fabricated into artificial organs, such as anartificial pancreas containing encapsulated islet cells. In some ofthese embodiments, the cells are encapsulated in a single hydrogelcompartment. In other embodiments, the composition contains a pluralityof microencapsulated cells dispersed or encapsulated in a biocompatiblestructure.

In some embodiments, the anti-inflammatory drugs are present in thecompositions as free drug. In other embodiments, the anti-inflammatorydrugs are present in drug-loaded polymeric particles. The drug loadedpolymeric particles are preferably microparticles or nanoparticles. Themean diameter of the particles may be selected and optimized based onthe particular drug, dosage, and release rate needed. In preferredembodiments, the drug loaded polymeric particles are microparticleshaving a mean diameter of about 1 μm to about 100 μm, preferably about 1μm to about 50 μm, more preferably about 1 μm to about 10 μm. In otherembodiments, drug loaded polymeric particles are nanoparticles having amean diameter of about 10 nm to about 999 nm, preferably at least about50 nm, more preferably at least about 100 nm, more preferably at leastabout 500 nm.

Suitable biocompatible hydrogels for cell encapsulation are known andinclude polysaccharides, polyphosphazenes, poly(acrylic acids),poly(methacrylic acids), copolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylicacid, poly(alkylene oxides), poly(vinyl acetate), polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP), and copolymers and blends of each. In preferred embodiments, thebiocompatible hydrogel is a polysaccharide. Preferred polysaccharidesinclude alginate, chitosan, hyaluronan, and chondroitin sulfate. Aparticularly preferred hydrogel for cell encapsulation is alginate.

Biocompatible, biodegradable polymers suitable for controlled drugdelivery are also known in the art and include polylactic acid (PLA),polyglycolic acid (PGA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA),polycaprolactone (PCL), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly(lacticacid)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PLA-PEG), polyanhydrides, poly(esteranhydrides), polymethylmethacrylate [PMMA], poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) [pHEMA], polycaprolactone [PCL], cellulose acetate,chitosan, and copolymers and blends thereof. A particularly preferredpolymer for controlled delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs fromhydrogels is poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA).

Suitable shell materials for separating hydrogel polymers includepolycation. In preferred embodiments, the polycation is a polycationicpolymer such as polylysine. In other embodiments, core-shell capsulesare fabricated without a membrane layer using a microfluidic or needlesystem to form microcapsules with two or more integrated layers. Forexample, two con-current liquid streams may be used to form two-layerdroplets with the external stream containing the desired drugcomposition.

Cells suitable for encapsulation and transplantation are generallysecretory or metabolic cells (i.e., they secrete a therapeutic factor ormetabolize toxins, or both) or structural cells (e.g., skin, muscle,blood vessel), or metabolic cells (i.e., they metabolize toxicsubstances). In some embodiments, the cells are naturally secretory,such as islet cells that naturally secrete insulin, or naturallymetabolic, such as hepatocytes that naturally detoxify and secrete. Insome embodiments, the cells are bioengineered to express a recombinantprotein, such as a secreted protein or metabolic enzyme. Depending onthe cell type, the cells may be organized as single cells, cellaggregates, spheroids, or even natural or bioengineered tissue.

In some embodiments, the anti-inflammatory drugs are glucocorticoids,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), phenolic antioxidants,anti-proliferative drugs, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments,the anti-inflammatory drug is lisofylline. Particularly preferred drugsinclude curcumin and dexamethasone.

An in vivo imaging system is used to identify anti-inflammatory drugssuitable for use in the disclosed compositions. The method involvesmonitoring the effect of candidate drugs loaded into polymeric particleson inflammatory enzymes and reactive oxygen species in the responseagainst implanted biomaterials.

Methods for treating diseases generally involve administering to asubject a biocompatible hydrogel encapsulating mammalian cells andanti-inflammatory drugs. In some embodiments, the anti-inflammatorydrugs are encapsulated in controlled release polymer. In some of theseembodiments, the encapsulated cells preferably secrete a therapeuticallyeffective amount of a substance to treat the disease for at least 30days, preferably at least 60 days, more preferably at least 90 days. Inparticularly preferred embodiments, the cells are islet cells thatsecrete a therapeutically effective amount of insulin to treat diabetesin the subject for at least 30 days, preferably at least 60 days, morepreferably at least 90 days.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the conjugation of dexamethasone to alginate to giveextended low-dose release from alginate.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing drug release (mg/nil) profiles ofdexamethasone from microparticles with high (-♦-, 26 wt %) and low (-▴-,1.3 wt %) drug loading as a function of time (days).

FIG. 3A is a graph showing near-infrared fluorescent efficiency(arbitrary units) 24 hours after intravenous administration ofProsense680, a near-infrared fluorescent probe used to detect theactivity of cathepsin enzymes, in mice subcutaneously injected with PLGAmicroparticles containing 1.3 wt % dexamethasone (-▪-) or no drug (-●-)as a function of time (days). FIG. 3B is a graph showing cellularinfiltration (ratio of total nuclei area to total polymercross-sectional area) in mice subcutaneously injected with PLGAmicroparticles containing 1.3 wt % dexamethasone (-▪-) or no drug (-●-)or as a function of time (days). ** p<0.05 by the Student's two-sampletwo-tailed t-test.

FIG. 4A is a plot showing blood glucose levels (mg/dL) in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced C57/B6J diabetic mice (N=5 per group) transplanted withmicrocapsules containing rat islets with (shaded shapes) and without(solid shapes) dexamethasone as a function of time post-transplantation(days). FIG. 4B is a plot showing blood glucose levels (mg/dL) inSTZ-induced C57/B6J diabetic mice (N=3 per group) transplanted withmicrocapsules containing rat islets with (shaded shapes) and without(solid shapes) dexamethasone and subjected to 1 dose ofLipo-Polysaccharide (LPS) immunostimulation challenge as a function oftime post-transplantation (days). Control mice did not survive LPSchallenge.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing insulin secretion (ng/day/islet) from isletcells encapsulated with no drug (columns 1 and 4), dexamethasone (column2), or curcumin (column 3) and co-cultured with nothing (column 1) orwith a macrophage cell line adherent to plate's bottom (columns 2-4).

FIG. 6 is a graph showing blood glucose level (mg/dL) as a function oftime (days post-transplantation) in C57/B6 mice with STZ-induceddiabetes transplanted with islet cells encapsulated with no drug (-♦-),curcumin (-●-), or dexamethasone (-▪-).

FIG. 7 is a graph showing blood glucose level (mg/dL) as a function oftime (minutes) after intraperitoneal glucose challenge in non-diabeticcontrol mice (-□-), diabetic control mice (---), or diabetic micetransplanted with islet cells encapsulated with no drug (-♦-), curcumin(-●-), or dexamethasone (-▪-).

FIG. 8 is a plot showing DNA fluorescence (arbitrary units) of retrievedcapsules as a function of the observed percentage of capsules coveredwith fibrosis (%). y=395x−3553; R²=0.888.

FIG. 9 is a bar graph showing DNA fluorescence (arbitrary units) ofretrieved capsules (columns 1-3) containing islet cells and no drug(column 1), dexamethasone (column 2) or curcumin (column 3) or freshcapsules containing islet cells (column 4) or no cells (column 5).

FIG. 10 is a bar graph showing insulin secretion (ng) over 24 hours fromretrieved capsules containing islet cells and no drug (column 1),dexamethasone (column 2) or curcumin (column 3).

FIGS. 11A and 11B are illustrations of hydrogel microcapsulesembodiments. In FIG. 11A, the drug-loaded particles and cells areencapsulated together in the hydrogel. In FIG. 11B, the cells areencapsulated in a core hydrogel, and the drug-loaded particles arecontained in an outer (envelope) hydrogel. An optional membrane materialis shown separating the core and envelope hydrogels. FIG. 11C is anillustration of a macrodevice embodiment formed by adhering hydrogelmicrocapsules to peritoneum using a biocompatible adhesive containingdrug-loaded particles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. Definitions

“Microcapsule” and “microgel” are used interchangeably to refer to aparticle or capsule having a mean diameter of about 150 μm to about 1000μm, formed of a cross-linked hydrogel or having a cross-linked hydrogelcore that is surrounded by a polymeric shell. The microcapsule may haveany shape suitable for cell encapsulation. The microcapsule may containone or more cells dispersed in the cross-linked hydrogel, thereby“encapsulating” the cells.

“Hydrogel” refers to a substance formed when an organic polymer (naturalor synthetic) is cross-linked via covalent, ionic, or hydrogen bonds tocreate a three-dimensional open-lattice structure which entraps watermolecules to form a gel. Biocompatible hydrogel refers to a polymerforms a gel which is not toxic to living cells, and allows sufficientdiffusion of oxygen and nutrients to the entrapped cells to maintainviability.

“Alginate” is a collective term used to refer to linear polysaccharidesformed from β-D-mannuronate and α-L-guluronate in any M/G ratio, as wellas salts and derivatives thereof. The term “alginate”, as used herein,encompasses any polymer having the structure shown below, as well assalts thereof.

“Biocompatible” generally refers to a material and any metabolites ordegradation products thereof that are generally non-toxic to therecipient and do not cause any significant adverse effects to thesubject.

“Biodegradable” generally refers to a material that will degrade orerode by hydrolysis or enzymatic action under physiologic conditions tosmaller units or chemical species that are capable of being metabolized,eliminated, or excreted by the subject. The degradation time is afunction of polymer composition and morphology.

“Drug-loaded particle” refers to a polymeric particle having a drugdissolved, dispersed, entrapped, encapsulated, or attached thereto.

“Microparticle” and “nanoparticle” refer to a polymeric particle ofmicroscopic and nanoscopic size, respectively, optionally containing adrug dissolved, dispersed, entrapped, encapsulated, or attached thereto.

“Anti-inflammatory drug” refers to a drug that directly or indirectlyreduces inflammation in a tissue. The term includes, but is not limitedto, drugs that are immunosuppressive. The term includesanti-proliferative immunosuppressive drugs, such as drugs that inhibitthe proliferation of lymphocytes.

“Immunosuppressive drug” refers to a drug that inhibits or prevents animmune response to a foreign material in a subject. Immunosuppressivedrug generally act by inhibiting T-cell activation, disruptingproliferation, or suppressing inflammation. A person who is undergoingimmunosuppression is said to be immunocompromised.

“Mammalian cell” refers to any cell derived from a mammalian subjectsuitable for transplantation into the same or a different subject. Thecell may be xenogeneic, autologous, or allogeneic. The cell can be aprimary cell obtained directly from a mammalian subject. The cell mayalso be a cell derived from the culture and expansion of a cell obtainedfrom a subject. For example, the cell may be a stem cell. Immortalizedcells are also included within this definition. In some embodiments, thecell has been genetically engineered to express a recombinant proteinand/or nucleic acid.

“Autologous” refers to a transplanted biological substance taken fromthe same individual.

“Allogeneic” refers to a transplanted biological substance taken from adifferent individual of the same species.

“Xenogeneic” refers to a transplanted biological substance taken from adifferent species.

“Islet cell” refers to an endocrine cell derived from a mammalianpancreas. Islet cells include alpha cells that secrete glucagon, betacells that secrete insulin and amylin, delta cells that secretesomatostatin, PP cells that secrete pancreatic polypeptide, or epsiloncells that secrete ghrelin. The term includes homogenous andheterogenous populations of these cells. In preferred embodiments, apopulation of islet cells contains at least beta cells.

“Transplant” refers to the transfer of a cell, tissue, or organ to asubject from another source. The term is not limited to a particularmode of transfer. Encapsulated cells may be transplanted by any suitablemethod, such as by injection or surgical implantation.

II. Encapsulated Cells with Reduced Fibrosis

Compositions are disclosed for transplanting mammalian cells into asubject. The composition is formed from a biocompatible,hydrogel-forming polymer encapsulating the cells to be transplanted. Inorder to inhibit capsular overgrowth (fibrosis), the composition furthercontains one or more anti-inflammatory drugs dispersed in or on, and/orencapsulated in a biocompatible hydrogel. In a preferred embodiment, oneor more anti-inflammatory drugs are present in drug-loaded polymericparticles for controlled release. In preferred embodiments, the hydrogelis an anionic polymer that is cross-linked with a polycationic polymerto form a shell.

Compartmentalizing the drug to the surface of the compositionfacilitates outward drug diffusion, maximizes drug interaction withimmune cells, and minimizes interference with the mammalian cellsinside. Therefore, in preferred embodiments the composition isconfigured with a core and envelope structure. In these embodiments, themammalian cells are preferably encapsulated in the core hydrogel and thedrug-loaded polymeric particles are encapsulated within the envelopehydrogel. In preferred embodiments, the core and envelope hydrogels areseparated by a membrane or shell.

A. Biocompatible Polymers for Encapsulating Cells

The disclosed compositions are formed from a biocompatible,hydrogel-forming polymer encapsulating the cells to be transplanted.Examples of materials which can be used to form a suitable hydrogelinclude polysaccharides such as alginate, polyphosphazines, poly(acrylicacids), poly(methacrylic acids), poly(alkylene oxides), poly(vinylacetate), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and copolymers and blends of each.See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,709,854, 6,129,761 and 6,858,229.

In general, these polymers are at least partially soluble in aqueoussolutions, such as water, buffered salt solutions, or aqueous alcoholsolutions, that have charged side groups, or a monovalent ionic saltthereof. Examples of polymers with acidic side groups that can bereacted with cations are poly(phosphazenes), poly(acrylic acids),poly(methacrylic acids), poly(vinyl acetate), and sulfonated polymers,such as sulfonated polystyrene. Copolymers having acidic side groupsformed by reaction of acrylic or methacrylic acid and vinyl ethermonomers or polymers can also be used. Examples of acidic groups arecarboxylic acid groups and sulfonic acid groups.

Examples of polymers with basic side groups that can be reacted withanions are poly(vinyl amines), poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(vinylimidazole), and some imino substituted polyphosphazenes. The ammonium orquaternary salt of the polymers can also be formed from the backbonenitrogens or pendant imino groups. Examples of basic side groups areamino and imino groups.

The biocompatible, hydrogel-forming polymer is preferably awater-soluble gelling agent. In preferred embodiments, the water-solublegelling agent is a polysaccharide gum, more preferably a polyanionicpolymer.

The cells are preferably encapsulated using an anionic polymer such asalginate to provide the hydrogel layer (e.g., core), where the hydrogellayer is subsequently cross-linked with a polycationic polymer (e.g., anamino acid polymer such as polylysine) to form a shell. See e.g., U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,806,355, 4,689,293 and 4,673,566 to Goosen et al.; U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,409,331, 4,407,957, 4,391,909 and 4,352,883 to Lim et al.; U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,749,620 and 4,744,933 to Rha et al.; and U.S. Pat. No.5,427,935 to Wang et al. Amino acid polymers that may be used tocrosslink hydrogel forming polymers such as alginate include thecationic poly(amino acids) such as polylysine, polyarginine,polyornithine, and copolymers and blends thereof.

1. Polysaccharides

Several mammalian and non-mammalian polysaccharides have been exploredfor cell encapsulation. Exemplary polysaccharides suitable for cellencapsulation include alginate, chitosan, hyaluronan (HA), andchondroitin sulfate. Alginate and chitosan form crosslinked hydrogelsunder certain solution conditions, while HA and chondroitin sulfate arepreferably modified to contain crosslinkable groups to form a hydrogel.

In preferred embodiments, the biocompatible, hydrogel-forming polymerencapsulating the cells is an alginate. Alginates are a family ofunbranched anionic polysaccharides derived primarily from brown algaewhich occur extracellularly and intracellularly at approximately 20% to40% of the dry weight. The 1,4-linked α-1-guluronate (G) andβ-d-mannuronate (M) are arranged in homopolymeric (GGG blocks and MMMblocks) or heteropolymeric block structures (MGM blocks). Cell walls ofbrown algae also contain 5% to 20% of fucoidan, a branchedpolysaccharide sulphate ester with l-fucose four-sulfate blocks as themajor component. Commercial alginates are often extracted from algaewashed ashore, and their properties depend on the harvesting andextraction processes.

Alginate forms a gel in the presence of divalent cations via ioniccrosslinking. Although the properties of the hydrogel can be controlledto some degree through changes in the alginate precursor (molecularweight, composition, and macromer concentration), alginate does notdegrade, but rather dissolves when the divalent cations are replaced bymonovalent ions. In addition, alginate does not promote cellinteractions.

A particularly preferred composition is a microcapsule containing cellsimmobilized in a core of alginate with a polylysine shell. Preferredmicrocapsules may also contain an additional external alginate layer(e.g., envelope) to form a multi-layeralginate/polylysine-alginate/alginate-cells microcapsule. See U.S. Pat.No. 4,391,909 to Lim et al. for description of alginate hydrogelcrosslinked with polylysine. Other cationic polymers suitable for use asa cross-linker in place of polylysine include poly(β-amino alcohols)(PBAAs) (Ma M, et al. Adv. Mater. 23:14189-94 (2011).

Chitosan is made by partially deacetylating chitin, a naturalnonmammalian polysaccharide, which exhibits a close resemblance tomammalian polysaccharides, making it attractive for cell encapsulation.Chitosan degrades predominantly by lysozyme through hydrolysis of theacetylated residues. Higher degrees of deacetylation lead to slowerdegradation times, but better cell adhesion due to increasedhydrophobicity. Under dilute acid conditions (pH<6), chitosan ispositively charged and water soluble, while at physiological pH,chitosan is neutral and hydrophobic, leading to the formation of a solidphysically crosslinked hydrogel. The addition of polyol salts enablesencapsulation of cells at neutral pH, where gelation becomes temperaturedependent.

Chitosan has many amine and hydroxyl groups that can be modified. Forexample, chitosan has been modified by grafting methacrylic acid tocreate a crosslinkable macromer while also grafting lactic acid toenhance its water solubility at physiological pH. This crosslinkedchitosan hydrogel degrades in the presence of lysozyme and chondrocytes.Photopolymerizable chitosan macromer can be synthesized by modifyingchitosan with photoreactive azidobenzoic acid groups. Upon exposure toUV in the absence of any initiator, reactive nitrene groups are formedthat react with each other or other amine groups on the chitosan to forman azo crosslink.

Hyaluronan (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan present in many tissuesthroughout the body that plays an important role in embryonicdevelopment, wound healing, and angiogenesis. In addition, HA interactswith cells through cell-surface receptors to influence intracellularsignaling pathways. Together, these qualities make HA attractive fortissue engineering scaffolds. HA can be modified with crosslinkablemoieties, such as methacrylates and thiols, for cell encapsulation.Crosslinked HA gels remain susceptible to degradation by hyaluronidase,which breaks HA into oligosaccharide fragments of varying molecularweights. Auricular chondrocytes can be encapsulated in photopolymerizedHA hydrogels where the gel structure is controlled by the macromerconcentration and macromer molecular weight. In addition,photopolymerized HA and dextran hydrogels maintain long-term culture ofundifferentiated human embryonic stem cells. HA hydrogels have also beenfabricated through Michael-type addition reaction mechanisms whereeither acrylated HA is reacted with PEG-tetrathiol, or thiol-modified HAis reacted with PEG diacrylate.

Chondroitin sulfate makes up a large percentage of structuralproteoglycans found in many tissues, including skin, cartilage, tendons,and heart valves, making it an attractive biopolymer for a range oftissue engineering applications. Photocrosslinked chondroitin sulfatehydrogels can be been prepared by modifying chondroitin sulfate withmethacrylate groups. The hydrogel properties were readily controlled bythe degree of methacrylate substitution and macromer concentration insolution prior to polymerization. Further, the negatively chargedpolymer creates increased swelling pressures allowing the gel to imbibemore water without sacrificing its mechanical properties. Copolymerhydrogels of chondroitin sulfate and an inert polymer, such as PEG orPVA, may also be used.

2. Synthetic Polymers

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been the most widely used syntheticpolymer to create macromers for cell encapsulation. A number of studieshave used poly(ethylene glycol) di(meth)acrylate to encapsulate avariety of cells. Biodegradable PEG hydrogels can be been prepared fromtriblock copolymers of poly(α-hydroxy esters)-b-poly (ethyleneglycol)-b-poly(α-hydroxy esters) endcapped with (meth)acrylatefunctional groups to enable crosslinking. PLA and poly(8-caprolactone)(PCL) have been the most commonly used poly(α-hydroxy esters) increating biodegradable PEG macromers for cell encapsulation. Thedegradation profile and rate are controlled through the length of thedegradable block and the chemistry. The ester bonds may also degrade byesterases present in serum, which accelerates degradation. BiodegradablePEG hydrogels can also be fabricated from precursors ofPEG-bis-[2-acryloyloxy propanoate]. As an alternative to linear PEGmacromers, PEG-based dendrimers of poly(glycerol-succinic acid)-PEG,which contain multiple reactive vinyl groups per PEG molecule, can beused. An attractive feature of these materials is the ability to controlthe degree of branching, which consequently affects the overallstructural properties of the hydrogel and its degradation. Degradationwill occur through the ester linkages present in the dendrimer backbone.

The biocompatible, hydrogel-forming polymer can containpolyphosphoesters or polyphosphates where the phosphoester linkage issusceptible to hydrolytic degradation resulting in the release ofphosphate. For example, a phosphoester can be incorporated into thebackbone of a crosslinkable PEG macromer, poly(ethyleneglycol)-di-[ethylphosphatidyl (ethylene glycol) methacrylate](PhosPEG-dMA), to form a biodegradable hydrogel. The addition ofalkaline phosphatase, an ECM component synthesized by bone cells,enhances degradation. The degradation product, phosphoric acid, reactswith calcium ions in the medium to produce insoluble calcium phosphateinducing autocalcification within the hydrogel. Poly(6-aminoethylpropylene phosphate), a polyphosphoester, can be modified withmethacrylates to create multivinyl macromers where the degradation ratewas controlled by the degree of derivitization of the polyphosphoesterpolymer.

Polyphosphazenes are polymers with backbones consisting of nitrogen andphosphorous separated by alternating single and double bonds. Eachphosphorous atom is covalently bonded to two side chains. Thepolyphosphazenes suitable for cross-linking have a majority of sidechain groups which are acidic and capable of forming salt bridges withdi- or trivalent cations. Examples of preferred acidic side groups arecarboxylic acid groups and sulfonic acid groups. Hydrolytically stablepolyphosphazenes are formed of monomers having carboxylic acid sidegroups that are crosslinked by divalent or trivalent cations such asCa²⁺ or Al³⁺. Polymers can be synthesized that degrade by hydrolysis byincorporating monomers having imidazole, amino acid ester, or glycerolside groups. Bioerodible polyphosphazines have at least two differingtypes of side chains, acidic side groups capable of forming salt bridgeswith multivalent cations, and side groups that hydrolyze under in vivoconditions, e.g., imidazole groups, amino acid esters, glycerol andglucosyl. Hydrolysis of the side chain results in erosion of thepolymer. Examples of hydrolyzing side chains are unsubstituted andsubstituted imidizoles and amino acid esters in which the group isbonded to the phosphorous atom through an amino linkage (polyphosphazenepolymers in which both R. groups are attached in this manner are knownas polyaminophosphazenes). For polyimidazolephosphazenes, some of the“R” groups on the polyphosphazene backbone are imidazole rings, attachedto phosphorous in the backbone through a ring nitrogen atom.

B. Conjugation of Drugs to Hydrogel-Forming Polymer

In some embodiments, one or more anti-inflammatory drugs are covalentlyattached to the hydrogel forming polymer. In these cases, theanti-inflammatory drug are attached to the hydrogel forming polymer viaa linking moiety that is designed to be cleaved in vivo. The linkingmoiety can be designed to be cleaved hydrolytically, enzymatically, orcombinations thereof, so as to provide for the sustained release of theanti-inflammatory drug in vivo. Both the composition of the linkingmoiety and its point of attachment to the anti-inflammatory agent, areselected so that cleavage of the linking moiety releases either ananti-inflammatory agent, or a suitable prodrug thereof. The compositionof the linking moiety can also be selected in view of the desiredrelease rate of the anti-inflammatory agents.

Linking moieties generally include one or more organic functionalgroups. Examples of suitable organic functional groups include secondaryamides (—CONH—), tertiary amides (—CONR—), secondary carbamates(—OCONH—; —NHCOO—), tertiary carbamates (—OCONR—; —NRCOO—), ureas(—NHCONH—; —NRCONH—; —NHCONR—, —NRCONR—), carbinols (—CHOH—, —CROW),disulfide groups, hydrazones, hydrazides, ethers (—O—), and esters(—COO—, —CH₂O₂C—, CHRO₂C—), wherein R is an alkyl group, an aryl group,or a heterocyclic group. In general, the identity of the one or moreorganic functional groups within the linking moiety can be chosen inview of the desired release rate of the anti-inflammatory agents. Inaddition, the one or more organic functional groups can be chosen tofacilitate the covalent attachment of the anti-inflammatory agents tothe hydrogel forming polymer. In preferred embodiments, the linkingmoiety contains one or more ester linkages which can be cleaved bysimple hydrolysis in vivo to release the anti-inflammatory agents.

In certain embodiments, the linking moiety includes one or more of theorganic functional groups described above in combination with a spacergroup. The spacer group can be composed of any assembly of atoms,including oligomeric and polymeric chains; however, the total number ofatoms in the spacer group is preferably between 3 and 200 atoms, morepreferably between 3 and 150 atoms, more preferably between 3 and 100atoms, most preferably between 3 and 50 atoms. Examples of suitablespacer groups include alkyl groups, heteroalkyl groups, alkylarylgroups, oligo- and polyethylene glycol chains, and oligo- and poly(aminoacid) chains. Variation of the spacer group provides additional controlover the release of the anti-inflammatory agents in vivo. In embodimentswhere the linking moiety includes a spacer group, one or more organicfunctional groups will generally be used to connect the spacer group toboth the anti-inflammatory agent and the hydrogel forming polymer.

In certain embodiments, the one or more anti-inflammatory agents arecovalently attached to the hydrogel forming polymer via a linking moietywhich contains an alkyl group, an ester group, and a hydrazide group. Byway of exemplification, FIG. 1 illustrates conjugation of theanti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone to alginate via a linking moietycontaining an alkyl group, an ester group connecting the alkyl group tothe anti-inflammatory agent, and a hydrazide group connecting the alkylgroup to carboxylic acid groups located on the alginate. In thisembodiment, hydrolysis of the ester group in vivo releases dexamethasoneat a low dose over an extended period of time.

Reactions and strategies useful for the covalent attachment ofanti-inflammatory agents to hydrogel forming polymers are known in theart. See, for example, March, “Advanced Organic Chemistry,” 5^(th)Edition, 2001, Wiley-Interscience Publication, New York) and Hermanson,“Bioconjugate Techniques,” 1996, Elsevier Academic Press, U.S.A.Appropriate methods for the covalent attachment of a givenanti-inflammatory agent can be selected in view of the linking moietydesired, as well as the structure of the anti-inflammatory agents andhydrogel forming polymers as a whole as it relates to compatibility offunctional groups, protecting group strategies, and the presence oflabile bonds.

C. Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Proliferative Drugs

Drugs suitable for use in the disclosed compositions are described andcan be identified using disclosed methods. Representative drugs includeglucocorticoids, phenolic antioxidants, anti-proliferative drugs, orcombinations thereof. These are collectively referred to herein as“anti-inflammatory drugs” unless stated otherwise.

Non-limiting examples include steroidal anti-inflammatories.Particularly preferred steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs includedexamethasone, 5-FU, daunomycin, and mitomycin. Anti-angiogenic oranti-proliferative drugs are also useful. Examples include curcuminsincluding monoesters and tetrahydrocurcurnin, and drugs such assirolimus (raparnycin), ciclosporin, tacrolimus, doxorubicin,mycophenolic acid and paclitaxel and derivatives thereof. In someembodiments, the anti-inflammatory drug is an mTOR inhibitor (e.g.,sirolimus and everolimus). A new antiproliferative drug is biolimus A9,a highly lipophilic, semisynthetic sirolimus analogue with analkoxy-alkyl group replacing hydrogen at position 42-O. Lisofylline is asynthetic small molecule with anti-inflammatory properties. In someembodiments, the anti-inflammatory drug is a calcineurin inhibitors(e.g., cyclosporine, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus).

In some embodiments, the anti-inflammatory drug is a synthetic ornatural anti-inflammatory protein. Antibodies specific to select immunecomponents can be added to immunosuppressive therapy. In someembodiments, the anti-inflammatory drug is an anti-T cell antibody(e.g., anti-thymocyte globulin or Anti-lymphocyte globulin), anti-IL-2Rαreceptor antibody (e.g., basiliximab or daclizumab), or anti-CD20antibody (e.g., rituximab).

In preferred embodiments, the one or more anti-inflammatory drugs arereleased from the capsules after administration to a mammalian subjectin an amount effective to inhibit fibrosis of the composition for atleast 30 days, preferably at least 60 days, more preferably at least 90days. In some embodiments, the anti-inflammatory drugs provide spatiallylocalized inhibition of inflammation in the subject without systemicimmunosuppression for at least 10 days, preferably at least 14 days,more preferably at least 30 days. In some embodiments, spatiallylocalized inflammation is detected by measuring cathepsin activity atthe injection sites in the subject. In other embodiments, spatiallylocalized inflammation is detected by measuring reactive oxygen species(ROS) at the injection site in the subject. In some embodiments,systemic immunosuppression is detected by measuring no cathepsinactivity or ROS at control sites in the subject, e.g., sites injectedwith drug-free polymeric particle or hydrogel. Methods for identifying,selecting, and optimizing anti-inflammatory drugs for use in thedisclosed compositions are described below.

The release rate and amounts can be selected in part by modifying drugloading of the polymeric particle. As disclosed herein, higher drugloading can cause a significant initial burst release (FIG. 2). This canalso result in systemic immunosuppression rather than spatiallylocalized inhibition of inflammation. In contrast, drug loading levelsthat are too low will not release therapeutically effective amounts ofanti-inflammatory drug.

The optimal drug loading will necessarily depend on many factors,including the choice of drug, polymer, hydrogel, cell, and site ofimplantation. In some embodiments, the one or more anti-inflammatorydrugs are loaded in the polymeric particle at a concentration of about0.01% to about 15%, preferably about 0.1% to about 5%, more preferablyabout 1% to about 3% by weight. In some embodiments, the one or moreanti-inflammatory drugs are encapsulated in the hydrogel at aconcentration of 0.01 to 10.0 mg/ml of hydrogel, preferably 0.1 to 4.0mg/nil of hydrogel, more preferably 0.3 to 2.0 mg/ml of hydrogel.However, optimal drug loading for any given drug, polymer, hydrogel,cell, and site of transplantation can be identified by routine methods,such as those described herein.

D. Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery

The drug-loaded particles containing anti-inflammatory drugs arepreferably formed from a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer suitablefor drug delivery. In general, synthetic polymers are preferred,although natural polymers may be used and have equivalent or even betterproperties, especially some of the natural biopolymers which degrade byhydrolysis, such as some of the polyhydroxyalkanoates.

Representative synthetic polymers include poly(hydroxy acids) such aspoly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), and poly(lactic acid-co-glycolicacid), poly(lactide), poly(glycolide), poly(lactide-co-glycolide),polyanhydrides, polyorthoesters, polyamides, polycarbonates,polyalkylenes such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyalkyleneglycols such as poly(ethylene glycol), polyalkylene oxides such aspoly(ethylene oxide), polyalkylene terepthalates such as poly(ethyleneterephthalate), polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl esters,polyvinyl halides such as poly(vinyl chloride), polyvinylpyrrolidone,polysiloxanes, poly(vinyl alcohols), poly(vinyl acetate), polystyrene,polyurethanes and co-polymers thereof, derivativized celluloses such asalkyl cellulose, hydroxyalkyl celluloses, cellulose ethers, celluloseesters, nitro celluloses, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose,hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxy-propyl methyl cellulose, hydroxybutylmethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, celluloseacetate butyrate, cellulose acetate phthalate, carboxylethyl cellulose,cellulose triacetate, and cellulose sulfate sodium salt (jointlyreferred to herein as “synthetic celluloses”), polymers of acrylic acid,methacrylic acid or copolymers or derivatives thereof including esters,poly(methyl methacrylate), polyethyl methacrylate),poly(butylmethacrylate), poly(isobutyl methacrylate),poly(hexylmethacrylate), poly(isodecyl methacrylate), poly(laurylmethacrylate), poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(methyl acrylate),poly(isopropyl acrylate), poly(isobutyl acrylate), and poly(octadecylacrylate) (jointly referred to herein as “polyacrylic acids”),poly(butyric acid), poly(valeric acid), andpoly(lactide-co-caprolactone), copolymers and blends thereof. As usedherein, “derivatives” include polymers having substitutions, additionsof chemical groups and other modifications routinely made by thoseskilled in the art.

Examples of preferred biodegradable polymers include polymers of hydroxyacids such as lactic acid and glycolic acid, and copolymers with PEG,polyanhydrides, poly(ortho)esters, polyurethanes, poly(butyric acid),poly(valeric acid), poly(lactide-co-caprolactone), blends and copolymersthereof.

Examples of preferred natural polymers include proteins such as albumin,collagen, gelatin and prolamines, for example, zein, and polysaccharidessuch as alginate, cellulose derivatives and polyhydroxyalkanoates, forexample, polyhydroxybutyrate. The in vivo stability of themicroparticles can be adjusted during the production by using polymerssuch as poly(lactide-co-glycolide) copolymerized with PEG.

In the most preferred embodiment, PLGA is used as the biodegradablepolymer. PLGA microparticles are designed to release molecules to beencapsulated or attached over a period of days to weeks. Factors thataffect the duration of release include pH of the surrounding medium(higher rate of release at pH 5 and below due to acid catalyzedhydrolysis of PLGA) and polymer composition. Aliphatic polyesters differin hydrophobicity and that in turn affects the degradation rate. Forexample, the hydrophobic poly (lactic acid) (PLA), more hydrophilic poly(glycolic acid) PGA and their copolymers, poly (lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) have various release rates. The degradation rate of thesepolymers, and often the corresponding drug release rate, can vary fromdays (PGA) to months (PLA) and is easily manipulated by varying theratio of PLA to PGA.

The diameter and porosity of the drug-loaded particle can be optimizedbased on the drug to be delivered and the desired dosage and rate ofrelease. In preferred embodiments, the drug-loaded particle is amicroparticle or a nanoparticle. The mean diameter of the particle maybe selected and optimized based on the particular drug, dosage, andrelease rate needed. In preferred embodiments, the drug loaded polymericparticles are microparticles having a mean diameter of about 1 μm toabout 100 μm, preferably about 1 μm to about 50 μm, more preferablyabout 1 μm to about 10 μm. In other embodiments, drug loaded polymericparticles are nanoparticles having a mean diameter of about 10 nm toabout 999 nm, including at least about 50 nm, preferably at least about100 nm, more preferably at least about 200 nm.

E. Microcapsules

The disclosed compositions are preferably microcapsules. The rate ofmolecules entering the capsule necessary for cell viability and the rateof therapeutic products and waste material exiting the capsule membraneare selected by modulating macrocapsule permeability. Macrocapsulepermeability is also modified to limit entry of immune cells,antibodies, and cytokines into the microcapsule.

It has been shown that since different cell types have differentmetabolic requirements, the permeability of the membrane has to beoptimized based on the cell type encapsulated in the hydrogel. Thediameter of the microcapsules is an important factor that influencesboth the immune response towards the cell microcapsules as well as themass transport across the capsule membrane. In some embodiments, thecell-loaded microcapsules has a mean diameter of about 150 μm to about1000 μm, more preferably 300 μm to about 750 μm, even more preferablyabout 200 μm to about 500 μm for effective diffusion across thesemi-permeable membrane.

F. Cells

The cell type chosen for encapsulation in the disclosed compositionsdepends on the desired therapeutic effect. The cells may be from thepatient (autologous cells), from another donor of the same species(allogeneic cells), or from another species (xenogeneic). Xenogeneiccells are easily accessible, but the potential for rejection and thedanger of possible transmission of viruses to the patient restrictstheir clinical application. The disclosed anti-inflammatory drugs combatthe immune response elicited by the presence of such cells. In the caseof autologous cells, the anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the immuneresponse provoked by the presence of the foreign hydrogel materials ordue to the trauma of the transplant surgery. Cells can be obtained frombiopsy or excision of the patient or a donor, cell culture, or cadavers.

In some embodiments, the cells secrete a therapeutically effectivesubstance, such as a protein or nucleic acid. In some embodiments, thecells metabolize toxic substances. In some embodiments, the cells formstructural tissues, such as skin, bone, cartilage, blood vessels, ormuscle. In some embodiments, the cells are natural, such as islet cellsthat naturally secrete insulin, or hepatocytes that naturally detoxify.In some embodiments, the cells are genetically engineered to express aheterologous protein or nucleic acid and/or overexpress an endogenousprotein or nucleic acid.

Examples of cells for encapsulation in the disclosed compositionsinclude hepatocytes, islet cells, parathyroid cells, cells of intestinalorigin, cells derived from the kidney, and other cells acting primarilyto synthesize and secret, or to metabolize materials. A preferred celltype is a pancreatic islet cell. Genetically engineered cells are alsosuitable for encapsulation according to the disclosed methods. In someembodiments, the cells are engineered to secrete blood clotting factors,e.g., for hemophilia treatment, or to secrete growth hormones. In someembodiments, the cells are contained in natural or bioengineered tissue.For example, the cells for encapsulation are in some embodiments abioartificial renal glomerulus. In some embodiments, the cells aresuitable for transplantion into the central nervous system for treatmentof neurodegenerative disease.

The amount and density of cells encapsulated in the disclosedcompositions, such as microcapsules, will vary depending on the choiceof cell, hydrogel, and site of implantation. In some embodiments, thesingle cells are present in the hydrogel at a concentration of 0.1×10⁶to 4×10⁶ cells/ml, preferred 0.5×10⁶ to 2×10⁶ cells/ml. In otherembodiments, the cells are present as cell aggregates. For example,islet cell aggregates (or whole islets) preferably contain about1500-2000 cells for each aggregate of 150 μm diameter, which is definedas one islet equivalent (IE). Therefore, in some embodiments, isletcells are present at a concentration of 100-10000 IE/ml, preferably200-3,000 IE/ml, more preferably 500-1500 IE/ml.

1. Islet Cells

In preferred embodiments, the disclosed compositions contain islet cellsproducing insulin. Methods of isolating pancreatic islet cells are knownin the art. Field et al., Transplantation 61:1554 (1996); Linetsky etal., Diabetes 46:1120 (1997). Fresh pancreatic tissue can be divided bymincing, teasing, comminution and/or collagenase digestion. The isletscan then be isolated from contaminating cells and materials by washing,filtering, centrifuging or picking procedures. Methods and apparatus forisolating and purifying islet cells are described in U.S. Pat. No.5,447,863 to Langley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,790 to Scharp et al., U.S.Pat. No. 5,273,904 to Langley, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,121 to Scharp etal. The isolated pancreatic cells may optionally be cultured prior tomicroencapsulation, using any suitable method of culturing islet cellsas is known in the art. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,121 to Brothers.Isolated cells may be cultured in a medium under conditions that helpsto eliminate antigenic components.

2. Genetically Engineered Cells

In some embodiments, the disclosed compositions contain cellsgenetically engineered to produce a therapeutic protein or nucleic acid.In these embodiments, the cell can be a stem cell (e.g., pluripotent), aprogenitor cell (e.g., multipotent or oligopotent), or a terminallydifferentiated cell (i.e., unipotent). The cell can be engineered tocontain a nucleic acid encoding a therapeutic polynucleotide such miRNAor RNAi or a polynucleotide encoding a protein. The nucleic acid can beintegrated into the cells genomic DNA for stable expression or can be inan expression vector (e.g., plasmid DNA). The therapeutic polynucleotideor protein can be selected based on the disease to be treated and thesite of transplantation. In some embodiments, the therapeuticpolynucleotide or protein is anti-neoplastic. In other embodiments, thetherapeutic polynucleotide or protein is a hormone, growth factor, orenzyme.

III. Methods

A. Cell Encapsulation with Polysaccharide Hydrogel Methods forencapsulating cells in hydrogels are known. In preferred embodiments,the hydrogel is a polysaccharide. For example, methods for encapsulatingmammalian cells in an alginate polymer are well known and brieflydescribed below. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,883 to Lim.

Alginate can be ionically cross-linked with divalent cations, in water,at room temperature, to form a hydrogel matrix. An aqueous solutioncontaining the biological materials to be encapsulated is suspended in asolution of a water soluble polymer, the suspension is formed intodroplets which are configured into discrete microcapsules by contactwith multivalent cations, then the surface of the microcapsules iscrosslinked with polyamino acids to form a semipermeable membrane aroundthe encapsulated materials.

The water soluble polymer with charged side groups is crosslinked byreacting the polymer with an aqueous solution containing multivalentions of the opposite charge, either multivalent cations if the polymerhas acidic side groups or multivalent anions if the polymer has basicside groups. The preferred cations for cross-linking of the polymerswith acidic side groups to form a hydrogel are divalent and trivalentcations such as copper, calcium, aluminum, magnesium, strontium, barium,and tin, although di-, tri- or tetra-functional organic cations such asalkylammonium salts, e.g., R₃N+--\

/--+NR₃ can also be used. Aqueous solutions of the salts of thesecations are added to the polymers to form soft, highly swollen hydrogelsand membranes. The higher the concentration of cation, or the higher thevalence, the greater is the degree of cross-linking of the polymer.Concentrations from as low as 0.005 M have been demonstrated tocross-link the polymer. Higher concentrations are limited by thesolubility of the salt.

The preferred anions for cross-linking of polymers containing basic sidechains to form a hydrogel are divalent and trivalent anions such as lowmolecular weight dicarboxylic acids, for example, terephthalic acid,sulfate ions and carbonate ions. Aqueous solutions of the salts of theseanions are added to the polymers to form soft, highly swollen hydrogelsand membranes, as described with respect to cations.

A variety of polycations can be used to complex and thereby stabilizethe polymer hydrogel into a semi-permeable surface membrane. Examples ofmaterials that can be used include polymers having basic reactive groupssuch as amine or imine groups, having a preferred molecular weightbetween 3,000 and 100,000, such as polyethylenimine and polylysine.These are commercially available. One polycation is poly(L-lysine);examples of synthetic polyamines are: polyethyleneimine,poly(vinylamine), and poly(allyl amine). There are also naturalpolycations such as the polysaccharide, chitosan.

Polyanions that can be used to form a semi-permeable membrane byreaction with basic surface groups on the polymer hydrogel includepolymers and copolymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and otherderivatives of acrylic acid, polymers with pendant SO₃H groups such assulfonated polystyrene, and polystyrene with carboxylic acid groups.

In a preferred embodiment, alginate capsules are fabricated fromsolution of alginate containing suspended cells using the encapsulator(such as an Inotech encapsulator). In some embodiments, alginates areionically crosslinked with a polyvalent cation, such as Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, orSr²⁺. In particularly preferred embodiments, the alginate is crosslinkedusing BaCl₂. In some embodiments, the capsules are further purifiedafter formation. In preferred embodiments, the capsules are washed with,for example, HEPES solution, Krebs solution, and/or RPMI-1640 medium.

Cells can be obtained directly from a donor, from cell culture of cellsfrom a donor, or from established cell culture lines. In the preferredembodiments, cells are obtained directly from a donor, washed andimplanted directly in combination with the polymeric material. The cellsare cultured using techniques known to those skilled in the art oftissue culture.

Cell attachment and viability can be assessed using standard techniques,such as histology and fluorescent microscopy. The function of theimplanted cells can be determined using a combination of theabove-techniques and functional assays. For example, in the case ofhepatocytes, in vivo liver function studies can be performed by placinga cannula into the recipient's common bile duct. Bile can then becollected in increments. Bile pigments can be analyzed by high pressureliquid chromatography looking for underivatized tetrapyrroles or by thinlayer chromatography after being converted to azodipyrroles by reactionwith diazotized azodipyrroles ethylanthranilate either with or withouttreatment with P-glucuronidase, Diconjugated and monoconjugatedbilirubin can also be determined by thin layer chromatography afteralkalinemethanolysis of conjugated bile pigments. In general, as thenumber of functioning transplanted hepatocytes increases, the levels ofconjugated bilirubin will increase. Simple liver function tests can alsobe done on blood samples, such as albumin production. Analogous organfunction studies can be conducted using techniques known to thoseskilled in the art, as required to determine the extent of cell functionafter implantation. For example, islet cells of the pancreas may bedelivered in a similar fashion to that specifically used to implanthepatocytes, to achieve glucose regulation by appropriate secretion ofinsulin to cure diabetes. Other endocrine tissues can also be implanted.

The site, or sites, where cells are to be implanted is determined basedon individual need, as is the requisite number of cells. For cellshaving organ function, for example, hepatocytes or islet cells, themixture can be injected into the mesentery, subcutaneous tissue,retroperitoneum, properitoneal space, and intramuscular space.

When desired, the microcapsules may be treated or incubated with aphysiologically acceptable salt such as sodium sulfate or like agents,in order to increase the durability of the microcapsule, while retainingor not unduly damaging the physiological responsiveness of the cellscontained in the microcapsules. By “physiologically acceptable salt” ismeant a salt that is not unduly deleterious to the physiologicalresponsiveness of the cells encapsulated in the microcapsules. Ingeneral, such salts are salts that have an anion that binds calcium ionssufficiently to stabilize the capsule, without substantially damagingthe function and/or viability of the cells contained therein. Sulfatesalts, such as sodium sulfate and potassium sulfate, are preferred, andsodium sulfate is most preferred. The incubation step is carried out inan aqueous solution containing the physiological salt in an amounteffective to stabilize the capsules, without substantially damaging thefunction and/or viability of the cells contained therein as describedabove. In general, the salt is included in an amount of from about 0.1or 1 milliMolar up to about 20 or 100 millimolar, most preferably about2 to 10 millimolar. The duration of the incubation step is not critical,and may be from about 1 or 10 minutes to about 1 or 2 hours, or more(e.g., over night). The temperature at which the incubation step iscarried out is likewise not critical, and is typically from about 4degrees Celsius up to about 37 degrees Celsius, with room temperature(about 21 degrees Celsius) preferred.

B. In Vivo Imaging System

To identify anti-inflammatory drug candidates for incorporation in thedisclosed encapsulated cell compositions, an in vivo imaging system wasdeveloped to monitor the effect of candidate drugs in reducing theactivity of inflammatory enzymes and reactive oxygen species in theresponse against implanted biomaterials.

In the disclosed high throughput in vivo assay, candidate drugsencapsulated in a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer suitable for drugdelivery (see discussion of these polymers above) are injected in anarray format on the back of a mammalian test subject to facilitatehigh-throughput screening. In preferred embodiments, the animal testsubject is a rodent, such as a mouse.

After subcutaneous injection of the polymer particles, cathepsinactivity at the point of injection of the drug-loaded particles may becompared to cathepsin activity at the point of injection of controlparticles (e.g., drug free and/or containing a control drug) to comparethe anti-inflammatory effect of the candidate drug on the foreign bodyresponse to the implanted particles using in vivo fluorescence imaging.Cathepsin activity can be monitored using a fluorescence substrate thatis activated by cathespin, such as Prosense680.

In addition, or in the alternative, reactive oxygen species (ROS) at thepoint of injection of the drug-loaded particles may be compared to ROSactivity at the point of injection of control particles (e.g., drug freeand/or containing a control drug) to compare the anti-inflammatoryeffect of the candidate drug on the foreign body response to theimplanted particles using in vivo luminescent imaging. ROS activity canbe monitored using a chemical substrate, such as luminol, that exhibitschemiluminescence in the presence of an oxidizing agent.

In preferred embodiments, the biocompatibility of the materials isassessed with in the first 14 days (preferably at days 3, 7, and 10)post injection using in vivo fluorescence imaging. In some embodiments,the fluorescence or luminescence intensity measured at the injectionsite of the candidate drug-loaded particles is compared with thefluorescence or luminescence intensity measured at the implantation siteof a negative control (e.g., drug-free particle). In preferredembodiments, a decreased fluorescence or luminescence intensity at theimplantation site of the candidate drug-loaded particle compared to thefluorescence or luminescence intensity measured at the implantation siteof the control identifies an anti-inflammatory drug suitable for use inthe disclosed compositions. In these embodiments, a decrease influorescence or luminescence correlates with an increase inanti-inflammatory potential.

C. Treatment of Diseases or Disorders

Encapsulated cells can be administered, e.g., injected or transplanted,into a patient in need thereof to treat a disease or disorder. In someembodiments, the disease or disorder is caused by or involves themalfunction hormone- or protein-secreting cells in a patient. In theseembodiments, hormone- or protein-secreting cells are encapsulated andadministered to the patient. For example, encapsulated islet cells canbe administered to a patient with diabetes. In other embodiments, thecells are used to repair tissue in a subject. In these embodiments, thecells form structural tissues, such as skin, bone, cartilage, muscle, orblood vessels. In these embodiments, the cells are preferably stem cellsor progenitor cells.

1. Diabetes

The potential of using a bioartificial pancreas for treatment ofdiabetes mellitus based on encapsulating islet cells within a semipermeable membrane is extensively being studied by scientists.Microencapsulation protects islet cells from immune rejection and allowsthe use of animal cells or genetically modified insulin-producing cells.

The Edmonton protocol involves implantation of human islets extractedfrom cadaveric donors and has shown improvements towards the treatmentof type 1 diabetics who are prone to hypoglycemic unawareness. However,the two major hurdles faced in this technique are the limitedavailability of donor organs and the need for immunosuppressants toprevent an immune response in the patient's body.

Several studies have been dedicated towards the development ofbioartificial pancreas involving the immobilization of islets cellsinside polymeric capsules. The first attempt towards this aim wasdemonstrated in 1980 by Lim et al where xenograft islet cells wereencapsulated inside alginate polylysine microcapsules, which resulted insignificant in vivo results for several weeks.

The polymers typically used for islet microencapsulation are alginate,chitosan, polyethylene glycol (PEG), agarose, sodium cellulose sulfateand water insoluble polyacrylates.

2. Cancer

The use of cell encapsulated microcapsules towards the treatment ofseveral forms of cancer has shown great potential. One approachundertaken by researchers is through the implantation of microcapsulescontaining genetically modified cytokine secreting cells. Geneticallymodified IL-2 cytokine secreting non-autologous mouse myoblastsimplanted into mice delay tumor growth with an increased rate ofsurvival of the animals. However, the efficiency of this treatment wasbrief due to an immune response towards the implanted microcapsules.Another approach to cancer suppression is through the use ofangiogenesis inhibitors to prevent the release of growth factors thatlead to the spread of tumors. Genetically modified cytochrome P450expressing cells encapsulated in cellulose sulfate polymers may also beuseful for the treatment of solid tumors.

3. Heart Diseases

While numerous methods have been studied for cell administration toenable cardiac tissue regeneration in patients after ischemic heartdisease, the efficiency of the number of cells retained in the beatingheart after implantation is still very low. A promising approach toovercome this problem is through the use of cell microencapsulationtherapy which has shown to enable a higher cell retention as compared tothe injection of free stem cells into the heart.

Another strategy to improve the impact of cell based encapsulationtechnique towards cardiac regenerative applications is through the useof genetically modified stem cells capable of secreting angiogenicfactors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), whichstimulate neovascularization and restore perfusion in the damagedischemic heart.

4. Liver Diseases

Microencapsulated hepatocytes can be used in a bioartificial liverassist device (BLAD). Acute liver failure (ALF) is a medical emergencywhich, despite improvements in modern intensive care, still carries asubstantial mortality rate. In the most severe cases, urgent orthotopicliver transplantation (OLT) currently represents the only chance forsurvival. However, the supply of donor organs is limited and an organmay not become available in time. An effective temporary liver supportsystem would improve the chance of survival in this circumstance bysustaining patients until a donor liver becomes available. Furthermore,the known capacity of the native liver to regenerate following recoveryfrom ALF raises the possibility that the use of temporary liver supportfor a sufficient period of time may even obviate the need for OLT in atleast some cases.

In some embodiments, hepatocytes are encapsulated in a microcapsuleshaving of an inner core of modified collagen and an outer shell ofterpolymer of methyl methacrylate (MMA), methacrylate (MAA) andhydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) (Yin C, et al. Biomaterials24:1771-1780 (2003)).

Cell lines which have been employed or are currently undergoinginvestigation for use in bioartificial liver support systems includeprimary hepatocytes isolated from human or animal livers, and varioustransformed human cells, such as hepatoma, hepatoblastoma andimmortalised hepatocyte lines.

The present invention will be further understood by reference to thefollowing non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES Example 1: Effect of Drug Loading on Controlled-ReleaseProperties

Materials and Methods

Fabrication and Characterization of PLGA Microparticles:

Microparticles with or without dexamethasone were prepared using asingle-emulsion method (Jain R A. Biomaterials 21(23):2475-90 (2000))with biodegradable PLGA 50/50 (inherent viscosity of 0.95-1.20 dL/g)from Lactel (Pelham, Ala.). Typically, a 5 mL solution of PLGA anddexamethasone dissolved in dichloromethane, at concentrations of 40mg/ml and 2 mg/ml respectively, was quickly added to a 25 mL solution of1% (w/v) polyvinyl alcohol and homogenized for 60 sec at 5000 rpm(Silverson L4R, Silverson Machines Ltd., Cheshire, England). Theresulting suspension was quickly decanted into 75 mL of deionized waterand stirred for 30 sec prior to rotary evaporation (Buchi Rotavap,Buchi, Switzerland) for 3 min. The suspension was washed five times bycentrifugation at 3000 rpm for 3 min. The particles were collected byfiltration using 0.2 μm filter, flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen, andlyophilized to dryness. Particle size distribution and morphology wereexamined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (JSM-6060, Jeol Ltd., Peabody,Mass., USA). Fluorescence spectra of the PLGA polymer microparticleswere collected by a Fluorolog-3 spectroflurometer (Horiba Yvon Jobin,Edison, N.J., USA). The dexamethasone loading of all microparticles wasdetermined by dissolving 2 mg of microspheres in 1 mL of acetonitrileand comparing the resulting UV absorbance at 234 nm to a standard curveof known concentrations of dexamethasone in acetonitrile,

In vitro drug release kinetics: The sample preparation and separationmethods reported elsewhere were utilized to study the release of drugfrom microparticles (D'Souza S S, et al. Pharma Res 23(3):460-74(2006)). Briefly, 3.5 mg of dexamethasone-loaded PLGA microparticleswere suspended in 1 mL of 0.9% (w/v) NaCl solution in a 1.5 mLcentrifuge tube. The centrifuge tube was incubated at 37° C. on atilt-table (Ames Aliquot Mixer, Miles). At predetermined intervals, thetube was centrifuged at 12 krpm for 5 min using an Eppendorf 5424microcentrifuge. The supernatant was collected and replaced with anequal volume of fresh 0.9% (w/v) aqueous NaCl solution. After a releaseperiod of thirty days, the suspension of remaining particles wascompletely dissolved in acetonitrile overnight. The concentration ofdexamethasone in all collected samples was quantified using UVabsorbance at 234 nm against a standard curve of known drugconcentrations. The percentage of drug release at each time point wascalculated by normalizing the cumulative amount of drug collected ateach point with the total amount of drug initially encapsulated in theparticles. The release kinetics reported for each particle formulationwas obtained from the average of quadruplicate experiments.

Animal Care:

The animal protocol was approved by the local animal ethics committeesat Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Committee on Animal Care) andChildren's Hospital Boston (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee)prior to initiation of the study. Male SKH-1E mice at the age of 8-12weeks were obtained from Charles River Laboratories (Wilmington, Mass.,USA). The mice were housed under standard conditions with a 12-hourlight/dark cycle at the animal facilities of Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, accredited by the American Association of Laboratory AnimalCare. Both water and food were provided ad libitum.

Subcutaneous Injection of Polymeric Microparticles:

Before subcutaneous injection of microparticles, mice were kept underinhaled anesthesia using 1-4% isoflurane in oxygen at a flow rate of 2.5L/min. Lyophilized microparticles with or without encapsulated drug weresuspended in sterile 0.9% (w/v) phosphate buffered saline at aconcentration of 50 mg/mL. A volume of 100 μL of this suspension wasinjected subcutaneously via a 23G needle at each of the six spots on theback of the mouse.

In Vivo Fluorescent Imaging of Whole Animal:

Mice were started on a non-fluorescent alfalfa-free diet (Harlan Teklad,Madison, Wis., USA) three days prior to subcutaneous injections ofmicroparticles and maintained on this diet till the desired sacrificetime point for tissue harvesting. The imaging probe ProSense-680 (VisEnMedical, Woburn, Mass., USA), at a concentration of 2 nmol in 150 μl ofsterile phosphate buffered saline was injected into the mice tail vein.After 24 hours, in vivo fluorescence imaging was performed with anIVIS-Spectrum measurement system (Xenogen, Hopkinton, Mass., USA). Theanimals were maintained under inhaled anesthesia using 1-4% isofluranein oxygen at a flow rate of 2.5 L/min. For monitoring cathepsinactivity, whole-animal near-infrared fluorescent images were captured atan excitation of 605 nm and emission of 720 nm and under optimizedimaging configurations. A binning of 8×8 and a field of view of 13.1 cmwere used for imaging. Exposure time and f/stop (the opening size of theaperture) were optimized for each acquired image. Backgroundautofluorescence of PLGA particles was also imaged at an excitation of465 nm and emission of 560 nm. Data were analyzed using themanufacturer's Living Image 3.1 software. All images are presented influorescence efficiency which is defined as the ratio of the collectedfluorescent intensity normalized against an internal reference toaccount for the variations in the distribution of incident lightintensity. Regions of interest (ROIs) were determined around the site ofinjection. ROI signal intensities were calculated in fluorescentefficiency.

Results

The inhibitory effect of microparticles was investigated with differentloadings of an anti-inflammatory drug. Dexamethasone, a syntheticsteroid, was selected for incorporation into PLGA microparticles becauseit is the most potent long-acting glucocorticoid that has been reportedto decrease cellular recruitment to implanted biomaterials (Zhong Y, etal. Brain Res 1148:15-27 (2007); Hickey T, et al. J Biomed Mater Res61(2):180-7 (2002); Bhardwaj U, et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol 1(1): 8-17(2007); Ju Y M, et al. J Biomed Mater Res 93(1):200-10 (2010)) and tominimize fibrotic deposition on FDA-approved pace-maker leads(Singarayar S, et al. PACE 28(4):311-5 (2005)). PLGA particles with orwithout different drug loadings were fabricated by a water-in-oilemulsion method. Each formulation of drug-loaded particles was testedvia subcutaneous injections at three alternating sites on the dorsalside of each mouse. Control particles without encapsulated drug weresimilarly administered at the three remaining sites on the same mouse.Each mouse was imaged 24 hours after intravenous administration ofProsense680, a near-infrared fluorescent probe to detect the activity ofcathepsin enzymes, which are inflammatory proteases secreted by immunecells (Bratlie K M, et al. PLoS One 5(4): e10032 (2010); Tung C H, etal. Cancer Res 60(17):4953-8 (2000)).

For the mouse with low (1.3 wt %) loading particles, cathepsin activityof inflammatory cells was observed at three injection sites with controlparticles. This near-infrared fluorescent signal was absent for thedrug-loaded particles at the remaining sites on the same mouse. Thejuxtaposition of cathepsin-absent sites next to cathepsin-active sitessuggested that the anti-inflammatory effect was spatially localized atthe injection sites of dexamethasone-loaded particles. Though themechanism of action for dexamethasone is not completely understood, itis known to act via a variety of pathways (Rhen T, et al. New Engl J Med353(16):1711-23 (2005)) resulting in the attenuation of inflammatorycell cascades when administered systemically (Tuckermann J P, et al. JClin Invest 117(5):1381-90 (2007)). Ex vivo histology studies alsoreported that this drug decreases fibroblastic recruitment and collagenproduction at implant sites (Morais J M, et al. AAPS J 12(2):188-96(2010)). The disclosed data showed in vivo for the first time thatcontrolled-release formulations of dexamethasone (1.3 wt % drug loading)exhibited specific and localized inhibition of cathepsin activity inhost response to subcutaneously implanted materials.

With the higher drug loading (26 wt %), there appeared to be a systemicimmunosuppressant effect causing the disappearance of cathepsin signalsfrom all six injection sites. This might be due to the significantinitial burst release from the particles with higher drug loading, asillustrated by the in vitro drug release profile (FIG. 2). Several miceadministered with particles of high drug loading died after 7-10 days.Conversely, mice receiving particles with low drug loading maintainedhealthy body conditions till sacrifice at 28 days. Understanding theeffect of drug loading on the in vivo inhibitory properties is importantin selecting drug delivery formulations for incorporation into medicaldevices. Choosing an appropriate anti-inflammatory drug release profilemay minimize unwanted side effects of systemic circulation, whileensuring sufficient mitigation of the host response to achieve long-termdevice performance.

Example 2: Time-Evolution of Cathepsin Activity

The in vivo host response to implanted materials is a dynamic processthat involves many different cell types and biological pathways.Neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages release cathepsins during theprocess of degranulation (Faurschou M, et al. Microbes Infect5(14):1317-27 (2003); Lominadze G, et al. Mol Cell Proteomics 4(10):1503(2005)). To kinetically monitor the effect of controlled-releasedexamethasone on the activity of these immune cells, cathepsin activitywas imaged in mice administered with dexamethasone-loaded particles (1.3wt % drug loading). The particles were injected subcutaneously on day 0.The imaging probe was injected intravenously on days 2, 9, 16, and 27.The mice were imaged with IVIS system on days 3, 10, 17, and 28.

Cathepsin activity in response to control PLGA 50/50 particles washighest at days 3 and 10, and decreased significantly at later timepoints. However, for the microparticles containing dexamethasone, suchcellular activity was suppressed at earlier time points and remainedabsent over the entire period of 28 days. Quantification of thetime-evolution of this cathepsin activity is presented in FIG. 2 showingstatistically significant differences between the two particleformulations at days 3 and 10. This temporal analysis suggests thatmonitoring of cathepsin activity is useful in detecting theanti-inflammatory effect of controlled-release therapeutics in the earlyphase of host response.

Example 3: Time-Evolution of Cellular Infiltration

Materials and Methods

Tissue Harvest and Histology Processing:

At the desired time points, mice were euthanized via CO₂ asphyxiation.The injected microparticles and 1 cm² area of full thickness dermaltissue surrounding the implant were excised, placed in histologycassettes and fixed in 10% formalin overnight. Following fixation, thetissues were dehydrated by transferring the cassettes to 70% ethanolsolutions. The polymer particles with surrounding fixed tissues wereembedded in paraffin and sectioned into samples of 5 μm thickness. Thesesamples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for histologicalanalysis.

Histology Analysis by Laser Scanning Cytometry:

The extent of cellular infiltration to injected polymer spots wasdetermined by semi-quantitative imaging cytometry using the iCysResearch Imaging Cytometer with iNovator software (CompuCyte, Cambridge,Mass., USA). A scanning protocol for quantification was configured withexcitation by blue 488 nm laser and a virtual channel for hematoxylindetection. Low resolution tissue scans with the 20× objective wereperformed to capture preliminary images of all tissue sections in eachslide. High resolution tissue scans were subsequently acquired using the40× objective and step size of 0.5 μm. The threshold in the hematoxylinchannel for detection of cell nuclei was optimized to selectivelycontour individual nuclei. Cross-sectional areas of the polymer spotsexcluding the dermal and skeletal tissues were defined. The nucleinumber and nuclei area measurements were taken from within theseregions. The extent of cellular infiltration into each polymer spot wascalculated as the ratio of the total nuclei area to total polymercross-sectional area.

Statistical Analysis:

The values of the fluorescent signals and the extent of cellularinfiltration were averaged and expressed as the mean±standard error ofthe mean. Comparisons of values were performed by the Student'stwo-tailed two-sample t-test. P values less than 0.05 were consideredsignificant.

Results

To understand how the temporal dynamics of in vivo cathepsin activitywas related to time-dependent cellular infiltration between theimplanted microparticles, standard histological analysis of excisedtissues was also performed. Three mice were sacrificed at days 3, 10, 17and 28. The excised polymer and surrounding tissues were fixed,processed histologically and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin.

Qualitative evaluation of samples collected on days 3 and 10 revealedthat the central portions of many polymer sections were detached duringhistology processing, while samples collected on days 17 and 27 remainedintact. The non-homogenous properties of dermal tissue containingpolymer particles rendered it fragile during histological processingsteps such as microtome sectioning and exposure to various organicsolvents. In the earlier phase of the foreign body response, cellularlayers surrounding the implants might have been thinner and weaker;hence samples on days 3 and 10 were more prone to dissociation from thedermal tissue. In the later phase of days 17 and 27, wound healing mighthave already resolved (Anderson 0.1M, et al. Semin Immunol 20(2):86-100(2008)) with the formation of strong fibrotic capsules containing theparticles; and thus the samples became more resilient during histologyprocessing.

Despite the lower quality of samples collected on days 3 and 10,neutrophils infiltrating the spaces between polymer particles andminimal collagen deposition were observed for both control anddrug-loaded samples. At the later time points of days 17 and 27,extensive macrophage infiltration and collagen deposition were observedthroughout the polymer sections of control samples, while drug-loadedsamples were free of cellular infiltration.

Laser scanning cytometry was used to quantify the amount of inflammatorycells recruited to the polymer injection sites according to establishedprotocols (Hunt J A, et al. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 3(3):160-9 (1992);Zolnik B S, et al. J Control Release 127(2):137-45 (2008); Hunt J A, etal. J Biomed Eng 15(1):39-45 (1993); Hunt J A, et al. Biomaterials16(3):167-70 (1995); Peterson R A, et al. Toxicol pathol 36(1):117(2008)). FIG. 3B shows the extent of cellular infiltration into eachpolymer spot, calculated as the ratio of total nuclei area to totalpolymer cross-sectional area. The cellular coverage ratio was notstatistically different for days 3 and 10, possibly due to the sampledetachment at earlier time points. However, the extent of infiltrationof inflammatory cells was significantly lower for drug-encapsulatedpolymers at later time points (days 17 and 27). Together, thehistological data and fluorescent imaging provided complementaryinformation to confirm that incorporation of dexamethasone decreasedearly protease activity and long-term cellular infiltration in the hostresponse to subcutaneously implanted materials.

Example 4: Screening Anti-Inflammatory Drugs by an In Vivo InflammationImaging Assay

Materials and Methods

Fabrication and Characterization of PLGA Microparticles:

Microparticles with or without a drug were prepared using asingle-emulsion method with biodegradable PLGA 50/50 (inherent viscosityof 0.95-1.20 dl/g) from Lactel (Pelham, Ala.). Typically, a 5 mLsolution of PLGA dissolved in dichloromethane at concentrations of 40mg/ml and a predetermined concentration of the desired drug, was quicklyadded to a 25 mL solution of 1% (w/v) polyvinyl alcohol and homogenizedfor 60 s at 5000 rpm (Silverson L4R, Silverson Machines Ltd., Cheshire,England). The resulting suspension was quickly decanted into 75 mL ofdeionized water and stirred for 30 s prior to rotary evaporation (BuchiRotavap, Buchi, Switzerland) for 3 min. The suspension was washed fivetimes by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 3 min. The particles werecollected by filtration using 0.2 μm filter, flash-frozen in liquidnitrogen, and lyophilized to dryness. Particle size distribution andmorphology were examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (JSM-6060, JeolLtd, Peabody, Mass., USA). The drug loading of all microparticles wasdetermined by dissolving 2 mg of microspheres in 1 mL of acetonitrileand comparing the resulting UV absorbance (from UV-Vis spectrum or HPLCanalysis) to a standard curve of known drug concentrations inacetonitrile.

Subcutaneous Injection of Polymers:

Before subcutaneous injection of the PLGA microparticles, mice were keptunder inhaled anesthesia using 1-4% isoflurane in oxygen at a flow rateof 2.5 L/min. Lyophilized microparticles with or without encapsulateddrug were suspended in sterile 0.9% (w/v) phosphate buffered saline at aconcentration of 50 mg/mL. A volume of 100 μL of this suspension wasinjected subcutaneously via a 23G needle at each of the six spots on theback of each hairless immune competent SKH-1E mouse.

Non-Invasive Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Imaging:

Mice were started on a non-fluorescent alfalfa-free diet (Harlan Teklad,Madison, Wis., USA) three days prior to subcutaneous injections ofmicroparticles and maintained on this diet till the desired sacrificetime point for tissue harvesting. To monitor cathepsin activity, theimaging probe ProSense-680 (VisEn Medical, Woburn, Mass., USA), at aconcentration of 2 nmol in 150 ml of sterile phosphate buffered salinewas injected into the mice tail vein. After 24 h, in vivo fluorescenceimaging was performed with an IVIS-Spectrum measurement system (Xenogen,Hopkinton, Mass., USA). The animals were maintained under inhaledanesthesia using 1-4% isoflurane in oxygen at a flow rate of 2.5 L/min.Whole-animal near-infrared fluorescent images were captured at anexcitation of 605 nm and emission of 720 nm and under optimized imagingconfigurations. To monitor reactive oxygen species, a volume of 200 ulof Sodium Luminol (Sigma Aldrich) dissolved in PBS buffer at aconcentration of 50 mg/ml was injected intraperitoneally to each mouseprior to imaging (dose of 500 mg/kg). Ten minute after this injection,the mouse was imaged under bioluminescent setting in the IVIS system.Data were analyzed using the manufacturer's Living Image 3.1 software.Fluorescent images are presented in fluorescence efficiency which isdefined as the ratio of the collected fluorescent intensity normalizedagainst an internal reference to account for the variations in thedistribution of incident light intensity. Regions of interest (ROIs)were determined around the site of injection. ROI signal intensitieswere calculated in total fluorescent efficiency for fluorescence imagesand in photons per second for bioluminescent images.

Tissue Retrieval and Histology Processing:

At the desired time points, mice were euthanized via CO₂ asphyxiation.The injected polymer and one square centimeter area of full thicknessdermal tissue surrounding the implant were excised, placed in histologycassettes and fixed in 10% formalin overnight. Following fixation, thetissues were dehydrated by transferring the cassettes to 70% ethanolsolutions. The polymer particles with surrounding fixed tissues wereembedded in paraffin and sectioned into samples of 5 mm thickness. Thesesamples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for histologicalanalysis.

Animal Care and Use:

The animal protocol was approved by the local animal ethics committeesat Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Committee on Animal Care)prior to initiation of the study.

Results

Hybrid alginate microcapsule designs were developed that containanti-inflammatory drug selected from the screening of different classesof anti-inflammatory drugs by an in vivo inflammation imaging assay.

To identify promising anti-inflammatory drug candidate, an in vivoimaging system was used to monitor the effect of these drugs in reducingthe activity of inflammatory enzymes and reactive oxygen species in theresponse against implanted biomaterials. PLGA microspheres containingsmall molecule anti-inflammatory drugs were subcutaneously injected atmultiple sites on the back of hairless immune competent mice.Non-invasive fluorescent imaging of cathepsin activity by an activableprobe, Prosense680 and luminescent imaging of reactive oxygen specieswith luminol were used to monitor the activity of immune cells in theearly inflammatory phase while histology was used to provide informationon long-term biocompatibility.

Seventeen different drugs were investigated, including non-steroidal andsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well as non-steroidalimmunosuppressants. Each drug was encapsulated in PLGA microparticles atthree different theoretical loading levels of 5%, 10% and 15% giving atotal of 51 controlled release formulations. Preliminary in vivoscreening of these formulations revealed that several formulations wereable to inhibit cellular infiltration into the subcutaneous spacebetween the injected microspheres. For example, in the first 10 dayspost-injection, PLGA microparticles incorporating the steroidal drugdexamethasone were able to locally suppress the cathepsin activity ofinflammatory cells while the injection sites with control PLGA particlesactively retain this enzymatic activity. This decrease in earlyinflammatory activity led to decreased cellular recruitment in latertime points.

Other drug candidates for reducing the early inflammatory response toimplanted biomaterials are listed Table 1.

TABLE 1 Different classes of drugs investigated with the in vivoinflammation imaging assay Drug name Classification dexamethasoneSteroidal methylprednisolone Steroidal prednisolone Steroidalhydrocortisone Steroidal fludrocortisone Steroidal prednisone Steroidalrapamycin Inhibitor of response to IL-2 cyclosporin Blocker ofproduction of IL-2 tacrolimus/FK-506 Blocker of production of IL-2paclitaxel Interfere with microtube breakdown curcumin Naturally derivedpolyphenolic anti-oxidant Resveratrol Naturally derived polyphenolicanti-oxidant celecoxib Inhibitor of COX-2 enzymes ketorolac Inhibitor ofCOX-1 enzymes piroxicam Inhibitor of COX-1 enzymes diclorofenacInhibitor of COX-1 enzymes ibuprofen Inhibitor of COX-1 enzymesketoprofen Inhibitor of COX-1 enzymes

Example 5: In Vitro Assessment of Drug Effects in a Co-Culture ofMacrophages and Encapsulated Islets

Materials and Methods

In Vitro Characterization of Viability and Insulin Secretion Function ofEncapsulated Islets:

RAW 264.7 macrophages were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplementedwith 10% FBS, 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 μg/ml streptomycin(Invitrogen). The cells were sub-cultured every 2-3 days. 0.2 millionmacrophages in 3 ml of fresh culture medium were seeded into each wellof a six-well tissue-culture treated polystyrene plate and allowed toadhere to the plate surface over night. The culture medium was removedand encapsulated islets were added in 3 ml of fresh medium to each wellwith adherent macrophages. Co-culturing of encapsulated islets withmacrophages was maintained for four days. Afterwards, supernatantsamples were collected and frozen at −20° C. for future insulin analysiswith an insulin ELISA kit (ALPCO diagnostics). Encapsulated islets werecollected into new plates. Both encapsulated islets and remainingadherent macrophages were washed in HEPES buffer and subjected tolive-dead fluorescent staining (Invitrogen) for viability assessment.

Results

An in vitro experiment was designed to test whether the presence ofimmune cells affects insulin secretion by islets. Hybrid alginatecapsules containing islet cells and 2 mg/ml of dexamethasone or 1 mg/mlof curcumin were fabricated. Islet cells were encapsulated alone as apositive control. As a negative control, encapsulated islets wereco-cultured with a macrophage cell line adherent to the plate's bottom.To assess the effect of the co-encapsulated drugs, hybrid capsulescontaining islets and drug were co-cultured with the adherentmacrophages which simulate the immune cells recruited to the surgicalsite during wound healing in the immediate post-transplant period. Theencapsulated cells were cultured for 4 days, media samples werecollected for insulin analysis, and islets were stained with live/deaddyes for viability assessment.

Islets remained viable in the presence of dexamethasone or curcumin.Macrophages reduced insulin secretion from the encapsulated islet cells(FIG. 5). Therefore, immune cells can lower insulin concentrationwithout attachment on capsules. Dexamethasone and curcumin hinderedmacrophages proliferation and restored insulin secretion (FIG. 5). Thesedata suggests that locally released anti-inflammatory drugs in theimmediate period post-transplant might help to minimize the recruitmentof immune cells during the early phase of the wound healing process andhence mitigate the harmful effects of these cells on theinsulin-secreting functions of encapsulated islets.

Example 6: Improved Efficacy of Hybrid Alginate Capsules ContainingIslets and Anti-Inflammatory Drug in STZ-Induced Diabetic Mice

Materials and Methods

Fabrication of Hybrid Drug-Islet Encapsulated in Alginate Capsules:

Alginate with high gluronic acid content SLG20 (Novamatrix, FMC Polymer,Drammen, Norway) was dissolved in sterile 0.9% (w/v) NaCl to give analginate solution of 1.5% (w/v). To prepare hybrid drug-islet capsule,1.5% (w/v) alginate was mixed with curcumin (Sigma Aldrich) at 0.3-1.0mg/ml or with dexamethasone (Sigma Aldrich) at 1-2 mg/ml and stirred for3-4 days to ensure that the drug is homogenously dispersed. During thismixing period, curcumin-alginate mixture was wrapped in aluminium foilto avoid light exposure which might oxidize this drug. One day afterislet isolation, islets were washed twice with Ca-free Krebs and mixedwith the alginate suspension with or without dispersed drug at apre-cross-linking islet density of approximately 750-1000 islets/ml.Islet-containing microcapsules were produced using an electrostaticdroplet generator (6 kV) by extrusion of the islet-alginate suspensionthrough a 22G needle at a volume flow rate of 0.155 ml/min into across-linking bath of 20 mM BaCl₂ solution. Encapsulated islets werethen left to cross-link in this solution for another 5 minutes beforebeing collected into a 50 ml Falcon tube. The capsules were subsequentlywashed four times with HEPES buffer and two times with RPMI-1640 mediumsupplemented with 10% FBS and 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 μg/mlstreptomycin (Invitrogen). The final microcapsule diameter was in therange of 400-500

Animal Care and Use:

The animal protocol was approved by the local animal ethics committeesat Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Committee on Animal Care)prior to initiation of the study. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 200-250 g,also obtained from Charles River Laboratories, were used as isletdonors. Diabetic male C57B6/J mice (Jackson Laboratory, Me., USA) wererecipients of encapsulated islets. Diabetes was induced in C57B6/J micevia a research contract with Jackson Laboratory, Me., USA. Briefly, maleC57B6/J mice, aged 6-8 weeks, were subjected to multiple low-doseintraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (Sigma Aldrich) at a dailydose of 50 mg/kg. 200 μl of STZ freshly dissolved in Phosphate BufferedSaline at a concentration of 5 mg/ml was administered to each mousedaily for a period of 5 consecutive days. Injected mice were housed indisposable cages with appropriate absorbent bedding with food and waterad libitum. The mice were observed daily till after the final STZinjection when they are weighed and their blood glucose levelsdetermined. Mice were confirmed diabetic if their non-fasted bloodglucose level rose above 300 mg/dL for two consecutive daily readings.These mice were shipped to Massachusetts Institute of Technology andonly those with stable hyperglycemia were used for subsequenttransplantation. Mice were housed under standard conditions with a12-hour light/dark cycle at the animal facilities of MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, accredited by the American Association ofLaboratory Animal Care. Both water and food were provided ad libitum.Prior to intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), mice werefasted over night.

Transplantation of Rat Encapsulated Islets into STZ-Induced DiabeticMice:

Xenogeneic transplants of encapsulated rat islets to diabetic micerecipients were performed to examine the reversibility of diabetes. Oneday after isolation from Sprague-Dawley rats, islets were encapsulatedwith or without an anti-inflammatory drug (curcumin or dexamethasone).Shortly thereafter, islet-containing capsules were sampled inquadruplicate, the total islets number was counted. Aliquots of thecapsules suspended in culture media were prepared to contain an equalnumber of islets by collecting all of the capsules, dividing the numberof capsules by volume of medium and carefully pipetting up and down toensure capsules remained suspended while preparing aliquots. They werethen transplanted intraperitoneally via a lapratomy procedure intodiabetic C57B6/J mice under 1-4% isofluorane-in-oxygen anaesthesiathrough a 5-10 mm abdominal incision.

Daily Blood Glucose Monitoring:

Animal blood glucose was determined between 9:00-11:00 a.m. using aportable glucometer (Clarity Plus). Blood was taken from a tail veinwith the total volume drawn per collection not exceeding 5 μl.

Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test (IPGTT):

Mice were fasted overnight (6:00 p.m.-9:00 a.m.) the night before IPGTT.On the day of the glucose challenge, each animal was injectedintraperitoneally with 400 μl of 10% (w/v) of glucose in sterile 0.9%NaCl, and its blood glucose was taken at 15, 30, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120minutes post-injection. Diabetic and non-diabetic animals were alsoincluded as controls.

Results

In order to assess the efficacy of hybrid alginate capsules containingislet cells and anti-inflammatory drug, C57/B6 mice with streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetes were transplanted with a marginal mass ofalginate-encapsulated islets containing curcumin, dexamethasone or nodrug (control) (n=6-7 replicate for each formulation). After thetransplant surgery, all mice recovered well and maintained stable weightand body condition. These mice were monitored to record daily bloodglucose over the period of 2 months. Both curcumin and dexamethasoneimproved glycemic control. Curcumin/islet capsules gave the bestglycemic control with a prolonged average graft survival of about 30days compared to about 20 days and 15 days by dexamethasone/isletcapsules and control capsules respectively (FIG. 6). In theintraperitoneal glucose challenge test, curcumin/islet capsules alsogave the best glucose clearance (FIG. 7)

Example 7: Quantitative Assessment of Fibrosis Formation on RetrievedCapsules by DNA Fluorescent Staining

Materials and Methods

Retrieval of Transplanted Capsule from the Intraperitoneal Cavity:

Sixty days after transplantation of islet-containing capsules, the micefrom example 6 were sacrificed by CO₂ asphyxiation. A lapratomy wasperformed to expose the abdominal cavity and capsules were retrieved byan abdominal lavage with HEPES buffer. The abdominal cavity was examinedclosely to identify remaining capsules, which if found were gentlyremoved using atraumatic tweezers. The retrieved capsules weresubsequently washed several times in HEPES buffer and imaged at 2×magnification using an EVOS brightfield microscope (AMG). Finally,capsules were transferred into a 1.5 ml Eppendorf tube, and frozen at−20° C. for future analysis.

Quantification of Fibrosis by DNA Fluorescent Staining:

50 μl of retrieved capsules (120-150 alginate capsules) were transferredto each well of a 24-well Millicell® cell culture insert (Millipore)using wide-orifice pipette tips (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, Pa.,USA). The capsules were incubated at 37° C. for 45 min in 800 μl of0.001 mg/ml Hoersch 33342 dye (Invitrogen) prepared from stock solutionby dilution with HEPES buffer. Afterwards, these capsules were washedfour times with HEPES buffer. The capsules were contained in the upperinsert which had a porous bottom membrane separating the capsules fromthe lower container well. The use of a porous insert helped to avoid theloss of capsules during washing steps as washing buffer could be removedby aspiration from the lower well or draining away from the upper insertby placing a Kimwipe below the porous membrane. All capsules weresubsequently transferred in 300 μl of HEPES buffer into a black 96 wellplate (Greiner BioOne). Finally, fluorescent signals from the stainedcapsules were obtained using a Tecan UV-VIS absorbance plate reader atwith the excitation and emission wavelengths of 350 nm and 460 nmrespectively.

Results

Capsules retrieved from the mice in Example 6 were examined forfibrosis. Qualitative observation suggested that curcumin/islet capsuleshad the least fibrosis, whereas dexamethasone/islets capsules had asmuch fibrosis as the control capsules. The curcumin/islet capsules stillretain a yellowish color of this drug indicating the presence ofresidual curcumin in the capsules.

A rigorous quantification technique was developed to assess fibrosis oncapsules via DNA fluorescent staining. Capsules were stained withHoersch dye which binds to DNA. The graph in FIG. 8 shows the DNA signalof 20 different samples plotted against the conventional scores. A goodcorrelation (R2=0.888) was observed between DNA staining and averageconventional score from 5 independent blinded individuals. These dataestablish that DNA staining can be used for fibrosis quantification.

Samples retrieved from the diabetic mice in Example 6 were stained forDNA fluorescence. Curcumin reduced fibrosis with statisticalsignificance while dexamethasone did not (FIG. 9). The presence ofislets did not contribute significantly to DNA signal (FIG. 9).

Insulin secretion was measured from the retrieved capsules for 24 hours.As shown in FIG. 10, both dexamethasone and curcumin greatly improvedinsulin secretion from the capsules.

Example 8: Improved Efficacy of Hybrid Alginate Capsules ContainingIslets and Anti-Inflammatory Drug in STZ-Induced Diabetic MiceImmuno-Stimulated with Lipopolysaccharide

Materials and Methods

Fabrication of Hybrid Drug-Islet Encapsulated in Alginate Capsules:

To incorporate candidate drugs into the alginate microcapsule system,two types of hybrid microcapsules containing islets and drug weredesigned (see FIGS. 11A-11B). Spherical alginate capsules were generatedby a cell encapsulator using SLG 100 alginate at 2-2.5 wt % andcross-linked in a 20 mM BaCl₂ bath. For the first type of capsule, freeanti-inflammatory drug or drug-loaded PLGA microspheres (1-10 μm) wasmixed with the alginate and homogeneously dispersed in the alginatesolution by overnight mixing (see FIG. 11).

For the second type of microcapsules, the drug-free alginate capsule wascoated first with a layer of poly-L-lysine (0.01 wt %, 70-100 kDa) andthen with 0.5 wt % alginate containing free drug or drug-loaded PLGAmicrospheres to form a thin external layer on the surface of thealginate capsules in a core-shell structure (sec FIG. 11B).Compartmentalizing the drug to the surface of the capsules facilitateoutward drug diffusion to the peritoneal space and maximize druginteraction with immune cells while minimizing any interference with theislet inside.

Transplantation of Encapsulated Rat Islets into STZ-Induced DiabeticMice with or without Lipopolysaccharide (LPS):

In order to assess hybrid alginate capsules containing islet cells anddexamethasone, C57/B6 mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabeteswere transplanted via a lapratomy procedure with the first type ofalginate-encapsulated islets containing dexamethasone or no drug(control). For the mice to be stimulated with LPS, each mice wereintraperitoneally injected with one dose of 100 μl of LPS dissolved inPBS (1 mg/ml) on day 4 post-surgery. Daily blood glucose level was alsomonitored for these mice.

Results

Studies have suggested that non-specific immune activation caused bysurgical trauma of implantation can cause early functional impairmentand loss of cell mass of islet encapsulated in alginate (Cole, D R, etal. Diabetologia 35(3):231-237 (1992); de Vos, P, et al, J Biomed MaterRes 62(3):430-437 (2002); Robitaille, R, et al. Biomaterials26(19):4119-4127 (2005)). This surgical injury induces an immunologicalcascade which is associated with secretion of cytotoxic cytokines,further recruitment of inflammatory cells and eventual fibrotic growthof a portion of the capsules. This problem is particularly severe andcause graft failure in higher animal models such as non-human primateswhich have a more aggressive immune systems.

Incorporation of anti-inflammatory drugs has been proposed to inhibitthis early inflammatory response and improve the biocompatibility ofalginate capsules (Blasi, P, et al. Int J Pharm 324(1):27-36 (2006);Bünger, C. M, et al. Biomaterials 26(15):2353-2360 (2005); Ricci, M, etal. J Control Release 107(3):395-407 (2005)). However, the pool ofexplored anti-inflammatory drugs is small and, no encapsulation strategyhas shown the efficacy these drugs in improving islet performance indiabetic treatment. The disclosed inflammation imaging method allows oneto systematically screen several classes of anti-inflammatory drugs,identify promising drug candidates, and incorporate them into engineeredalginate capsules containing islets for transplantation into diabeticanimal models. These hybrid capsules were able to improve the glycemiccontrol of immune-isolated islets transplanted in diabetic mice.

To illustrate the efficacy of drug-embedded capsule design in diabetestreatment, two groups of capsules containing rat islets with and withoutembedded dexamethasone were transplanted into two sets of STZ-inducedC57/B6J diabetic mice without LPS stimulation (n=5 per group), and theirefficacy in curing diabetes was followed by daily monitoring of bloodglucose level. FIG. 4A shows the blood glucose level of these diabeticmice up to 22 days. The group of mice with drug-embedded islet capsulesshowed a faster decrease in blood glucose level and a tighter glycemiccontrol during these 22 day period. All mice with drug-embedded capsuleswere cured (blood glucose below 200 mg/dL) while mice with controlcapsules remained hyperglycemic. This data indicates that administrationof locally released anti-inflammatory drug from the capsules can improvethe performance of islet grafts in the immediate time period aftertransplant surgery.

To illustrate the same efficacy in a mouse model with a more aggressiveimmune system, two groups of diabetic mice (n=3) transplanted withcontrol and hybrid dexamethasone/islet capsules were subjected to 1 doseof LPS stimulation. LPS is a component of bacterial cell wall which canstimulate the immune system of mice giving rise to more aggressiverecruitment of inflammatory cells. With LPS priming, mice withdrug-embedded capsules demonstrate rapid and sustained correction ofblood glucose level up to 37 days (FIG. 4B). In contrast, mice withcontrol capsules did not survive the aggressive immuno-stimulation. Thisdata indicates that administration of controlled releaseanti-inflammatory drug can improve islet performance in more aggressiveinflammation model.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of skill in the artto which the disclosed invention belongs. Publications cited herein andthe materials for which they are cited are specifically incorporated byreference.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain usingno more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specificembodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents areintended to be encompassed by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A composition comprising: (a) (i) a core comprising abiocompatible hydrogel and encapsulating one or more allogeneic orautologous mammalian secretory, metabolic or structural cells, (ii) anenvelope on the outside of the core comprising a biocompatible hydrogel,and (iii) optionally a membrane separating the core and the envelope;and (b) one or more anti-inflammatory drugs encapsulated in or onpolymeric particles dispersed on or within the core, the envelope orwithin the envelope and the core; wherein the one or moreanti-inflammatory drugs are locally released from the composition afterimplantation in a mammalian subject in an amount effective to preventdetectable fibrosis of the composition for at least 10 days.
 2. Thecomposition of claim 1, comprising a membrane separating the core andthe envelope.
 3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the membranecomprises polycation crosslinked hydrogel.
 4. The composition of claim1, wherein the composition is a microcapsule or a coating on or withinan implantable device.
 5. The composition of claim 1, wherein thecomposition is in the form of microcapsules, having a mean diameter ofbetween about 150 μm and about 1000 μm, between about 300 μm and about750 μm, between about 200 μm and about 500 μm, or between about 400 μmand about 500 μm.
 6. The composition of claim 1, comprising polymericmicroparticles, having a mean diameter of between about 1 μm and about100 μm, between about 1 μm and about 50 μm, between about 1 μm and about10 μm, between about 10 nm and about 999 nm, between about 50 nm and 500nm, or about 100 nm.
 7. The composition of claim 1, wherein thebiocompatible hydrogel in the core or the envelope comprises a polymerselected from the group consisting of a polysaccharide, polyphosphazene,poly(acrylic acids), poly(methacrylic acids), copolymers of acrylic acidand methacrylic acid, poly(alkylene oxides), poly(vinyl acetate),polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and copolymers and blends thereof.
 8. Thecomposition of claim 7, wherein the biocompatible hydrogel in the corecomprises a polysaccharide selected from the group consisting ofalginate, chitosan, hyaluronan, and chondroitin sulfate.
 9. Thecomposition of claim 7, wherein the biocompatible hydrogel in theenvelope comprises a polysaccharide selected from the group consistingof alginate, chitosan, hyaluronan, and chondroitin sulfate.
 10. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the one or more mammalian secretory,metabolic or structural cells are allogeneic.
 11. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more mammalian secretory cells are isletcells.
 12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more mammaliansecretory, metabolic or structural cells are genetically engineered. 13.The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more anti-inflammatorydrugs is selected from the group consisting of glucocorticoids, phenolicantioxidants, and anti-proliferative drugs.
 14. The composition of claim13, wherein the one or more anti-inflammatory drugs are drugs thatdirectly or indirectly reduce inflammation in a tissue oranti-proliferative immunosuppressive drugs that inhibit theproliferation of lymphocytes.
 15. The composition of claim 1, whereinthe one or more anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit fibrosis of thecomposition after transplantation in the subject by at least 50%compared to the same composition not including anti-inflammatory drug.16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or moreanti-inflammatory drugs are released from the composition afterimplantation in an amount effective to provide spatially localizedinhibition of cathepsin activity without systemic immunosuppression. 17.The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more anti-inflammatorydrugs are conjugated to the biocompatible hydrogel in the envelope by abiodegradable chemical linker.
 18. A method for treating or alleviatingone or more symptoms of a disease in a subject, comprising administeringto a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a composition ofclaim
 1. 19. A method for identifying and selecting suitableanti-inflammatory drugs to prevent fibrosis of encapsulated cells,comprising: (a) providing a microparticle formed from a biocompatible,biodegradable polymer comprising a candidate anti-inflammatory drug; (b)injecting a plurality of the microparticles into the skin of animmune-competent mammal; (c) imaging the mammal for cathepsin activity,reactive oxygen species, or a combination thereof; wherein a decrease incathepsin activity, reactive oxygen species, or a combination thereof atthe injection site compared to a control is an indication that thecandidate anti-inflammatory drug is suitable to prevent fibrosis ofencapsulated cells.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the disease isdiabetes.
 21. The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or moreanti-inflammatory drugs is selected from the group consisting of asteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, an mTOR inhibitor, a calcineurininhibitor, and a synthetic or natural anti-inflammatory protein.
 22. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the one or more anti-inflammatory drugsare antiproliferative drugs selected from the group consisting ofdexamethasone, 5-fluorouracil, daunomycin, paclitaxel, curcumin,resveratrol, and mitomycin.
 23. The composition of claim 1, wherein theone or more anti-inflammatory drugs are selected from the groupconsisting of methylprednisolone, prednisolone, hydrocortisone,fludrocortisone, prednisone, celecoxib, ketorolac, piroxicam,diclorofenac, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen.
 24. The composition of claim 1,wherein the one or more anti-inflammatory drugs is selected from thegroup consisting of a rapamycin, cyclosporin, and tacrolimus/FK-506.